Chapter 136: Li Kangmei, Li Yuanchao

Ning Weidong pondered; logically, Sister Wang from the Logistics Department could not possibly make such a common-sense mistake.

They are both just young people; if the two of them are getting to know each other just to date, and something really happens, she would have no way to answer to others.

Especially Ning Wei, who is still two or three years away from the legal marriage age, not just a few months; if he waits a bit, endures a bit, he will get there.

Ning Weidong's expression was gloomy, and he could not help but think of the worst.

It was not that he was worrying needlessly, but that at times like this, the worst possibility is often the reality.

The reason he did not say anything just now was out of consideration for Ning Wei's feelings.

When Ning Wei came to talk about this matter just now, he was clearly very happy and full of enthusiasm.

At a time like this, with no evidence, Ning Weidong did not want to be a wet blanket, and even less could he show any intention of stopping him.

Otherwise, no matter how much Ning Wei admired Ning Weidong in his heart, it would be hard to avoid a trace of rebellious psychology.

Do not forget Ning Wei's age; at this age, let alone Ning Weidong being just a brother with no blood relation, even his own father might not be very effective.

Ning Weidong believed that with Ning Wei's character and loyalty, he would absolutely not have any second thoughts because of this one thing.

But then again, a person's heart does not go cold in a single day; trouble starts from the smallest signs, and if one is not careful this time and not careful next time, by the time one looks back in the future, an irreversible situation will likely have been brewed.

Therefore, Ning Weidong has always treated the people around him with thirty percent respect, no matter who they are.

Of course, it stops at thirty percent.

Some people will climb all over you if you give them too much face, so respect can be given, but not too much.

Ning Weidong thought for a moment, grabbed the phone, and dialed: "Hello, Old Lu, it's me, Ning Weidong... Are you busy? If not, come over here."

Lu Zhou is now considered one of Ning Weidong's people; if Ning Weidong asks him if he is busy, he would be a fool to say he is.

More than ten minutes later, Lu Zhou rushed over, his paralyzed face squeezing out a smile that was more awkward than crying: "Section Chief, you called for me."

Ning Weidong stood up with a smile and walked from behind his desk to the sofa: "Old Lu, let's sit down and talk."

Lu Zhou responded, followed Ning Weidong to the sofa, and waited for Ning Weidong to sit down before he sat down as well.

Ning Weidong said: "Old Lu, how are things going over at the Fourth Workshop?"

Lu Zhou puffed out his chest: "Section Chief, don't you worry..."

After hearing the report, Ning Weidong patted him on the shoulder and said: "Old Lu, you are an old hand, you understand the situation at the Manager, and your ability is beyond question; I am very at ease leaving that side to you."

Lu Zhou was also a sensible man and quickly took the opportunity to express his loyalty.

There were many reasons why he could not move up before, and one of them was that he had no one above him.

As the old saying goes, clothes are better new, but people are better old.

Even if Lu Zhou were an official himself, he would prefer to use people he knows inside and out; he wouldn't feel at ease keeping someone he doesn't know around him.

He had previously tried to climb up through the connection with Wang Kai-feng, helping out and putting in the effort, but when it came time to reward merit, there was no share for him.

Now that he has finally climbed up to Ning Weidong, he cherishes this opportunity very much.

Especially since Ning Weidong completed the turnaround at the Fourth Workshop and has now become the de facto second-in-command of the Security Division, it has further solidified his determination to follow Ning Weidong.

Lu Zhou believes that as long as he follows Ning Weidong closely, let alone the Deputy Section Chief position he once craved, it is not impossible to become a full Section Chief in the future.

After saying all this, Ning Weidong changed the subject and suddenly asked: "By the way, Old Lu, you are an old hand at our factory; do you know Sister Wang from Logistics?"

Everything before was just a setup; this was the real purpose for Ning Weidong calling Lu Zhou over.

Lu Zhou pondered: "Sister Wang... the one who always loves to play matchmaker?"

Ning Weidong nodded: "That's her, what kind of person is she?"

Lu Zhou frowned, not quite understanding why Ning Weidong suddenly asked about her, but he did not ask further; he thought for a moment and said: "This person is named Wang Jinfeng; she doesn't do any real work, just plays matchmaker and introduces people. This old woman has a good eye, and she has successfully introduced many couples in the factory, so her reputation is certainly good, but as for the person herself..."

Ning Weidong could tell that Lu Zhou did not think much of this Wang Jinfeng.

Ning Weidong, however, did not care about her character; he only cared about whether there was anything fishy behind her introducing a match for Ning Wei this time.

He simply did not hide anything and said directly to Lu Zhou: "Old Lu, you should know that recently this Sister Wang introduced a match for Xiao Wei, a girl from our factory hospital."

Lu Zhou nodded immediately, indicating he knew about this matter.

In fact, from the moment Ning Weidong asked about the matchmaker Wang, he had guessed it must be related to Ning Wei.

Recently, the only thing that could link Ning Weidong and Wang Jinfeng together seemed to be this matter.

Ning Weidong said: "Old Lu, you know, Xiao Wei is like my own younger brother; I must keep an eye on his affairs."

Lu Zhou nodded in agreement.

Ning Weidong added: "Xiao Wei is only nineteen now, still two or three years away from the legal marriage age; what is the meaning of introducing a match now?"

Lu Zhou's brows locked together, and he said in a deep voice: "Section Chief, are you thinking... of making this not happen?"

Ning Weidong shook his head and said calmly: "Whether it happens or not is not important; what is important is whether there is someone behind this Sister Wang who wants to target us."

Lu Zhou felt a chill in his heart; he really hadn't thought of this layer.

Immediately, he couldn't help but think to himself, no wonder he could become an official at such a young age; just this keen sense of smell and this way of thinking were not something he could compare to.

If nothing else, being able to think of someone behind the scenes just from Wang Jinfeng introducing a match to Ning Wei.

Even if this matter eventually proved to be worrying needlessly and was completely overthinking it, it was enough to make one sigh.

This showed that the person in front of him was ready for battle at any time and in any place.

Lu Zhou couldn't help but take a deep breath and said: "Section Chief, I understand; give me two days, and I will definitely find out the truth for you."

Ning Weidong said with a smile: "No need to be so rushed; today is already Thursday, give me an answer next Monday."

Lu Zhou responded and stood up, knowing it was time to go.

After the door closed, Ning Weidong sat back behind his desk, leaning against the back of his chair, still pondering Ning Wei's matter.

If there really was a problem, the other party must be an old hand at fishing.

With Ning Wei, this should just be a casual move; it seems useless now, but it is left for the future.

Ning Weidong's mind could not help but think of Wang Guoqiang.

In the Red Star Factory, only Wang Guoqiang had this kind of mind and motive.

It is not that Li Weibing lacks the ability, but he is old.

Once a person gets old, they do not think too far ahead; he knows that even if he did, he might not live to see it.

Based on the current situation, even without the threat from Wang Guoqiang, Li Weibing will remain in office for at most two more years.

And regarding this incident with Wang Kaifeng, although Li Weibing seems to have won, it is not without side effects.

Wang Kaifeng being toppled certainly dealt a huge blow to Wang Guoqiang, but it also left a very bad impression of Li Weibing on his superiors.

The first is a lack of leadership, allowing the struggle to spiral out of control.

The second is an inability to unite comrades, which has caused a very negative impact.

From Li Weibing's perspective, it would be best for the remaining two years to be peaceful, stable, and to land safely.

As for Wang Guoqiang, according to what Ning Weidong understands, this person is quite stubborn and conceited, and is definitely not the type to admit defeat easily.

Although he stumbled last time, he will definitely find a way to get back at him. So, if there really is something fishy behind this, it is highly likely that Wang Guoqiang is the one playing tricks, but as for the specifics, he will have to wait until next Monday for Lu Zhou's reply.

With Lu Zhou's ability, finding some clues is not a problem.

……

On Saturday night, because he is going to meet the Li Family siblings with Zhao Ruyi on Sunday, Ning Weidong did not stay with Zhao Ruyi tonight, but came to Ning Weiguo's place instead.

After getting off work in the evening, there were many people coming and going in the Mechanical Bureau Family Quarters where Ning Weiguo and Wang Yuzhen live.

In the afternoon, Ning Weidong had someone ask the cafeteria for a chicken, which was already cleaned and chopped into pieces, and he carried it over.

It is not about taking advantage of the public.

Ning Weidong really disdains taking such petty advantages; it is only a matter of eighty or ninety cents, and it is not worth letting people gossip about it.

He pays exactly what he should pay; it is just for convenience.

After parking his bicycle, Ning Weidong carried a net bag containing an enamel basin borrowed from the cafeteria and went upstairs.

"Knock, knock, knock~"

While knocking on the door, Ning Weidong called out: "Sister-in-law, open the door~"

Before he could shout a second time, the metal-clad door opened.

Wang Yuzhen poked her head out, glared at him, and said: "What are you shouting for? You look like a live bandit entering a house."

Ning Weidong held up the net bag and chuckled: "Sister-in-law, look at what you're saying. Are there any live bandits who bring you chicken to eat?"

Just at this moment, a middle-aged woman in her forties came up from downstairs, happened to see Ning Weidong, and said with a smile: "Wang, you have guests at home."

Wang Yuzhen hurriedly smiled and said: "Liu Jie, you're off work~ This is my husband Weiguo's younger brother. Weidong, call her Liu Jie."

With an outsider present, Ning Weidong nodded and said: "Liu Jie, hello~"

Liu Jie looked Ning Weidong over and couldn't help but exclaim: "This young man looks so spirited, he must be one meter ninety tall!"

Ning Weidong smiled and said nothing.

Liu Jie then went up a few steps and arrived at the door opposite to open it with her key.

Only then did Ning Weidong realize that she lived in the room opposite.

Immediately after, Wang Yuzhen brought him back into the room and said: "Since you're here, why did you bring things?" As she spoke, she took out the enamel basin and opened it to look.

Ning Weidong chuckled: "I was craving it, so I thought I'd have you stew a little chicken for me to satisfy my craving."

Wang Yuzhen glared at him: "You and Zhao Ruyi really are two of a kind." As she spoke, she headed to the kitchen: "Wait for me to soak some mushrooms and vermicelli."

Ning Weidong sat down on the sofa in the living room and asked: "Is Xiao Lei not back from school yet?"

Wang Yuzhen said from the kitchen: "I don't know where he went to run wild; he'll come back when he's hungry." She then asked: "How are things going with you and Zhao Ruyi?"

Ning Weidong said: "Pretty good."

Wang Yuzhen said: "Only you can tame that girl. People used to introduce partners to her, but within two days, she would send them to the hospital."

Ning Weidong chuckled; thinking of Zhao Ruyi's personality, she could really do something like that.

Nowadays, the affectionate relationship he has with Zhao Ruyi is entirely built on the foundation that his combat power is strong enough to firmly suppress her; otherwise, everything would be out of the question.

Just at this moment, keys jingled at the door.

Ning Weiguo pushed the door open and entered; he was not surprised to see Ning Weidong, as Ning Weidong had called in the afternoon to say he was coming over in the evening.

He called out "Brother" without getting up.

Ning Weiguo put down the briefcase in his hand, looked him up and down, and said with a smile: "Not bad, you haven't lost weight."

Ning Weidong said: "Lost weight? I'm either eating at the cafeteria or going out to gorge myself with that girl Zhao Ruyi. In just over a month, I've gained five or six pounds."

Ning Weiguo smiled; Zhao Ruyi being 'both fierce and a big eater' is no secret.

After a while, Ning Lei also returned from outside.

He was covered in dust, and because of sweat, his face and head were caked with mud, which ran down his cheeks, making him look like a tabby cat.

Seeing Ning Weidong, his eyes lit up: "Third Uncle!"

Ning Weidong rubbed his head: "You look like a mud monkey, where did you go digging for rat holes?"

Ning Lei chuckled, but was immediately suppressed by his mother; seeing his appearance, she immediately unleashed a high-decibel sonic attack.

After some chaos, Ning Lei was finally tidied up to look decent.

After waiting for a while, around six o'clock, dinner was finally served.

Ning Weidong specially opened a bottle of Fenjiu: "Weidong, drink a little with your brother today."

Ning Weidong happily agreed, and the two did not drink too much, one glass each, about three taels, just enough to be slightly tipsy without hindering the discussion of serious matters.

Ning Lei ate as fast as ever, finishing and leaving the table in no time.

The remaining three, Ning Weidong, Ning Weiguo, and Wang Yuzhen, talked while eating.

"By the way, Sister-in-law, do you know Li Kangmei?" Ning Weidong found an opportunity to ask.

He came over today specifically wanting to ask about the situation of the Li Family siblings.

Although Zhao Ruyi had introduced their situation in detail, one cannot listen to only one side of the story for any matter or person.

"Li Kangmei?" Wang Yuzhen frowned and said, "Why are you suddenly asking about her?"

Ning Weidong said, "Ruyi plans to introduce me to Li Kangmei tomorrow, as well as her younger brother Li Yuanchao."

Wang Yuzhen pursed her lips and said, "The two of them have always had a good relationship, so it's not unusual for her to ask you to join them."

She added, "However, this Li Kangmei is not simple; she is not the straightforward type like Zhao Ruyi, so keep your guard up when you interact with her. And that younger brother of hers, Li Yuanchao, is even less of a pushover; he caused quite a stir a few years ago..."

Ning Weidong chewed on the chicken as he listened to Wang Yuzhen describe the situation of the Li Family siblings.

It was clear that neither of these two was easy to deal with.

Fortunately, in terms of major factions, the Li Family and the Wang Family were considered to be in the same camp, though they occupied different positions and had different responsibilities and functions within the faction.

Generally speaking, however, the Li Family's strength was greater, and the ecological niche they occupied was higher.

Furthermore, given the age of the Li Family patriarch, this gap would only grow larger in the future.

It was just that Li Kangmei and Li Yuanchao were not considered core figures of the Li Family's current generation.

Especially Li Yuanchao, because of the things he did a few years ago, the possibility of him entering a formal political career in the future was basically cut off.

In fact, this situation with Li Yuanchao was not rare in any of the major compounds.

Almost every family had such a "good-for-nothing" child who went along with the chaos during that time.

These seemingly "foolish" actions actually all contained deep meaning.

It was just like the Zhuge family back then: Zhuge Liang in Shu Han, Zhuge Jin in Eastern Wu, and Zhuge Dan in Cao Wei; it was roughly the same idea.

(End of this chapter)