Chapter 1058: A Mysterious Guessing Game

"One serving of Chinese cabbage stewed with tofu, one serving of shredded bean curd stir-fried with green peppers, and one serving of cold shredded kelp."

Li Xuewu stood at the cafeteria window, looking at the row of steel vegetable basins as he ordered. He asked for two vegetarian dishes, one cold dish, and then added a bowl of braised carp.

"Don't put too much chili in the shredded kelp; if it's too spicy, you won't be able to taste the seafood flavor."

"You sure know how to joke, Leader—"

The head chef preparing the dishes in the cafeteria turned back and said with a smile, "This is the first time I've heard kelp counted as seafood."

"Haha, I'm treating guests today, so calling it that sounds better, doesn't it? From all corners of the land and sea, we've got all the delicacies covered—a grand feast."

"Whoa—! You're certainly generous!"

The head chef walked over to help serve a large bowl of carp and joked, "But the person eating with you is really out of luck! Hahaha!"

The head chef was originally a private cook for the Lou family. Later, after the reforms, he had to have a proper status, so he became a hired chef.

Later on, the Lou family went into hiding, and this chef lost his job; he had the skills but no official establishment.

Fortunately, Lou Yu was righteous and didn't want to abandon the people from his household, so he simply brought them here.

The head chef's surname was Ma, and he possessed top-tier Tan-style culinary skills, having received the true teachings.

To say he was a wasted talent in a cafeteria-style restaurant was true, come to think of it.

However, in these years, although a chef didn't have to worry about work or food, they still needed some dignity.

What is dignity?

Unless one was like Sha Zhu, who took over his father's position from the start, worked in the factory, and possessed the status of a worker—he was considered a big brother.

Generally speaking, a chef was just a service worker, no matter which institution they were in.

Service workers, by the nature of their work, were there to provide service and always harbored a sense of inferiority.

After all, it had been less than twenty years since the liberation, and the old habits and roots hadn't been completely cleared away yet.

He had long considered the Lou family his own; even his marriage was arranged by Boss Lou.

He always felt that working for the Lou family was like working in his own home, and he felt somewhat uncomfortable elsewhere.

It was alright at the club because the Lou father and daughter had managed it earlier, and he had come to regard this place as home, working with peace of mind.

It was just that the Lou father and daughter had left one after another. He could still see Boss Lou and his wife, but Miss Lou was nowhere to be seen; he didn't know where she had gone.

He wasn't very familiar with Li Xuewu, but he knew this leader had a close relationship with the Lou family, had deep ties, and was trustworthy.

Therefore, Chef Ma was very respectful toward Li Xuewu; joking was just a sign of closeness.

Li Xuewu felt the same toward him. He came less often on weekdays, but whenever he did come and saw him, he would definitely say a few words.

"Alright, that's enough to eat, don't give me too much."

Chef Ma served the dishes onto the tray for Li Xuewu, and the portions were definitely generous, especially the fish.

"Enjoy your meal. Today's fish is exceptionally good; it can be considered 'river-opening' fish, with no muddy smell."

"Got it, you go ahead and get busy."

Li Xuewu smiled as he took the tray, carrying four dishes and four bowls of rice toward the dining area.

At a square table in the dining area, Zhao Lao Si felt quite uncomfortable. He had just finished reporting and was about to go back to eat, but Li Xuewu insisted on pulling him over to eat together.

That wasn't all; eating was one thing, but he wouldn't let him go get the food himself, insisting on doing it personally.

You tell me, eating with Li Xuewu and having him treat you—how embarrassing is that?

There were countless people outside waiting to treat Li Xuewu to a meal; what virtue or ability did he have to be eating food personally served by the leader?

You tell me, following such a good proprietor, even if you weren't paid a salary for a month and only provided with food and drink, wouldn't it be deserved? Wouldn't your heart feel warm?

"Let me—let me—Leader."

Seeing Li Xuewu coming over, Zhao Lao Si stood up to greet him, taking the initiative to take the tray, but was refused by Li Xuewu, so he could only follow him back.

Arriving at the table, he scrambled to set out the dishes and rice, then arranged the chopsticks.

"Let's keep it simple today. It's dinner, and I can't eat too much meat. You all just bear with me; treat it as me being stingy."

"You're too polite. My own meals are even simpler; eating with you makes everything taste fragrant."

"Come, Xiao Bai, Luo Yun."

Just as they were talking, Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun walked in. Li Xuewu raised his hand to signal them.

"Eating with me is a rush; I eat fast."

Li Xuewu smiled and said to Zhao Lao Si, "It was even more so before, clattering away like a battle. It's better now; I've slowed down, and the food is more vegetarian."

"I'm the same, especially when I'm at work. If there's something going on, I always forget to eat, or I just rush through it while busy."

Zhao Lao Si was sitting opposite Li Xuewu. Seeing Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun coming over, he was about to stand up.

Luo Yun pressed his arm and called out, "Zhao Sige, you just sit; I'll sit next to you."

She smiled and greeted, "I was just telling Xiaobai, today is truly rare. Li Ge is treating, and we're eating with Zhao Sige."

"Stop joking with me. It's my honor to eat with you all—!"

Zhao Lao Si and Luo Yun competed in showing off their eloquence, and the table suddenly became lively.

Zhou Xiaobai sat quietly beside Li Xuewu, and during a pause in Luo Yun's talking, she called out "Zhao Sige" to Zhao Lao Si.

Most of the young men and women in this courtyard had received guidance and help from Zhao Lao Si.

After all, he had come with Zhou Changli and was considered one of the first batch of people to arrive.

He was there when the courtyard first started renovations and was responsible for security at the entrance.

Now, he was even more responsible for the security of the entire courtyard, as well as the management and training of the service staff.

It must be said, Zhao Lao Si didn't have much education, nor did he have any special abilities; he relied entirely on his single-minded willingness to study and drill.

He himself lamented that if he had put this kind of effort into his studies back then, he would have been admitted to Huaqing University.

The Zhao Lao Si of the past was a street hoodlum, the type who would start brandishing knives and guns within three sentences.

Now, look at him—he was the famous Grand Steward. Anyone inside or outside the gate who knew how to handle things had to call him "Zhao Sige."

Although he didn't manage the affairs of the underworld outside the gate, everyone in the underworld knew that this place was the last spot in the capital where one could obtain fairness.

Furthermore, everyone knew very clearly that this gate wasn't just the face of the tough guys, but also their last way out.

They didn't understand what the world inside the gate was like, but they knew the significance this gate represented, as well as the words Zhou Changli had once spoken.

Therefore, Zhao Lao Si, who managed this gate, naturally became "Zhao Sige" and "Master Fourth."

Don't look at how well-behaved and respectful Zhao Sige was in front of Li Xuewu; he was fierce when managing and disciplining people.

If he weren't there to keep things in check, the service staff and coaches in the courtyard wouldn't be so disciplined.

Rules were what Zhao Lao Si first proposed, and he was also the first to practice them, taking the lead in following them.

Because there were rules, Li Xuewu and the management office trusted him.

Because there were rules, he could earn this living and hold onto his rice bowl firmly.

Luo Yun's background wasn't particularly good, not comparable to Zhou Xiaobai's. She was just an ordinary girl in the courtyard, so she was very good at speaking and handling things.

You see her speaking well? She couldn't compare to Zhao Lao Si; Zhao Lao Si had specifically apprenticed to learn that.

Why did both Luo Yun and Zhou Xiaobai call Zhao Lao Si "Zhao Sige"? On one hand, it was because Zhao Lao Si had earned it; on the other, it stemmed from his care for them.

Learning from each other in speech and action—young people progressed just like that.

Especially Zhou Xiaobai, who once thought Zhao Lao Si would report on her to Li Xuewu.

And the result? She called him "Zhao Sige" willingly.

Zhao Lao Si was such a smart person; what he learned from his master made him almost as clever as a monkey.

What kind of person was Zhou Xiaobai? What was her background?

He knew it too clearly, and he knew even more clearly what kind of person Li Xuewu was. He saw at a glance what the result would be if Zhou Xiaobai mixed with Li Xuewu.

It was just that Zhou Xiaobai was still young, still at an age that liked to play around.

So, if she had some little secrets, Zhao Lao Si didn't care at all, because Li Xuewu didn't care.

That simple?

Hey! It was just that simple!

Zhao Lao Si always believed he was working for Li Xuewu, handling affairs; he only maintained Li Xuewu's interests and relationships.

He only paid attention to what Li Xuewu cared about; otherwise, he knew nothing about other issues.

This was what his master taught him; in today's terms, it was grasping the main contradiction.

For a girl like Zhou Xiaobai, if she wanted to play tricks on Li Xuewu, did he even need to report it?

Just watch; who knows who is playing whom.

Li Xuewu didn't care at all who Zhou Xiaobai was flirting with, and he cared even less about what she was hiding from him.

Zhao Lao Si, as a bystander, saw clearly. Those few idiots standing at the gate waiting for Zhou Xiaobai were boisterous, and coupled with Zhou Xiaobai's reaction—wasn't the situation obvious enough? Luo Yun's explanation was so awkward!

He didn't believe Li Xuewu couldn't see it. The reason he didn't expose it was entirely to humor Zhou Xiaobai. As for what Li Xuewu wanted to play, that wasn't for him to manage; he just had to keep his own mouth shut.

"What has Zuo Jie been busy with lately?"

Zhou Xiaobai ate silently, not joining in with Luo Yun and Zhao Lao Si. Li Xuewu picked up a piece of fish for her and asked Luo Yun.

Luo Yun glanced at Zhou Xiaobai and replied to Li Xuewu with a smile, "He said it was about the Youth Association. He even said he'd be back tonight, but I haven't seen him yet."

She sighed a little, "He's busy lately, and so am I. Sometimes even if we see each other, it's just a hurried passing; we can't even get two sentences in."

"Haha, my fault, I delayed your good things. I'll criticize Zuo Jie in a bit; how can he not take care of his girlfriend's feelings?"

Li Xuewu joked, "Work can be done slowly, but if love is affected by work, then the loss outweighs the gain."

"You're just teasing me—!"

Luo Yun pouted, covering her mouth and giggling, "Don't say that to him, or he'll think I'm complaining about something. Actually, it's good that he's busy. Seeing him busy makes me feel especially secure. A man must have a career."

She said with hidden meaning, "What kind of future can someone have who spends all day wandering the streets, doing nothing, and eating off their parents?"

"People always talk about hoping their children become dragons, but this is truly the first time I've seen someone hoping their husband becomes a dragon."

Li Xuewu pretended not to understand the meaning behind her words. Seeing Zhou Xiaobai's expression change slightly, he teased Luo Yun, "Be careful of regretting that you sought a title of nobility for your husband—!"

"Don't worry, he won't be titled. I know how much ability he has; he's okay at handling things, but average at leading."

Luo Yun dared to evaluate her partner in front of Li Xuewu, not afraid that Li Xuewu would have a stereotypical impression of Zuo Jie.

She smiled and said, "Give me more opportunities to train. As long as I'm always more successful than him, don't worry, I won't dump him."

"Hmm, I'll work harder."

Li Xuewu said amusingly, "For the sake of your happiness, I must also help you progress."

"Hahaha—!"

The dining table was lively and happy. Luo Yun and Zhao Lao Si took advantage of the mealtime to introduce the general situation in the courtyard.

Li Xuewu ate little and spoke little at the table, mainly listening to them talk.

At the same time, he didn't forget to take care of Zhou Xiaobai's feelings, picking up food for her and handing her tissues.

Because of the Zhong Yuemin matter, Zhou Xiaobai felt uneasy, becoming even more cautious when facing Li Xuewu, very afraid he would know something or see through something.

After the meal, the four of them left the cafeteria together. Because they knew Zuo Jie was coming to see Li Xuewu in a bit, Luo Yun followed Li Xuewu as well.

Only Zhao Lao Si, after thanking Li Xuewu again in front of the flower hall, went back to the gatehouse.

The night was perfect, the moonlight gentle, bright, and flawless, and the lights were brilliant.

The red lanterns of the flower hall reflected onto the ground, dyeing it a pinkish hue, which was quite beautiful.

Li Xuewu walked between Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun, listening to Luo Yun talk about learning business from Shen Guodong.

These days were mainly about familiarizing herself with the situation. Shen Guodong took her around to look at production, channels, sales outlets, and client relationships, etc.

She was deeply impressed by the production aspect. Luo Yun had never imagined that the work uniforms, administrative suits, and leather shoes they wore were all produced by prison departments like the First Prison.

No wonder the quality control was so excellent, and it was no wonder Li Xuewu told her the location of the production base was safe and confidential.

How could it not be confidential? How could it not be safe?

"Brother Guodong is now arranging for me to follow Master Li to design new summer administrative suits, while also supervising the sales and transportation of the spring suits."

Luo Yun smiled and said, "I even gave Master Li a few suggestions, and he said they were all very good and would adopt them."

"Is that so—!"

Li Xuewu nodded in approval and joked, "In a bit, I'll talk to Guodong and tell him not to let you do this anymore; it's not convenient for a young lady."

"Ah? This, why is this not convenient?"

Luo Yun was a bit confused; she didn't understand what Li Xuewu meant.

Li Xuewu blinked and smiled, "Letting you 'follow' an old man—how bad the influence is. He didn't consider it carefully."

"Oh—!"

Luo Yun blushed with shame and pouted, "You could have just joked that I used the wrong word!"

"Haha, it's quite good. I can see your progress, proving you've worked hard and learned."

Li Xuewu walked into the management office courtyard, stepped onto the stairs, and pushed open the door to Yu Li's office.

There was no one in the room, but the light was on; they must have just left.

"With your words, I feel it's all worth it no matter how hard it is, and no matter how hard I work, I feel it's not enough."

Luo Yun had truly grown; even her flattery sounded pleasant, proving she had been tempered quite a bit.

"Yu Jie should be at the guesthouse right now; she has been every night these past few days."

"It's fine, no rush. You all sit."

Li Xuewu didn't go to sit on the sofa but walked to the bed, kicked off his cloth shoes, and lay down.

Seeing Zhou Xiaobai go to make tea, Luo Yun didn't bother being diligent. She sat down on the long sofa, flipped out some melon seeds from underneath, and started eating.

"Li Ge, you came today. Are you coming tomorrow?"

She cracked a melon seed, turned her head to look at Li Xuewu, and said, "Brother Huang and the others all say they never see you, thinking you went on a business trip or disappeared."

"I am going on a business trip, to Jinmen next week."

Li Xuewu lay on the bed, straightening his waist. He had been busy all day and hadn't had a moment of rest at noon.

After sending off the two henchmen and talking to Ao Yuhua, asking her to call Yingcheng to give instructions, he himself went to see Li Huai De.

Regarding Nie Chenglin's situation, Li Xuewu's suggestion was still to focus on labor observation; the current situation should focus on production and economic development.

After Yang Fengshan left, he was the only factory-level leader still being tempered, so he should be even more cautious to avoid causing controversy.

Li Huai De didn't say anything after hearing his words, but this precisely proved he wasn't thinking of bickering with Nie Xiaoguang, and Nie Xiaoguang couldn't make him lose face either.

Would the leader of a grand factory care about the grandstanding of a small fry?

He wouldn't lower his status to bicker with the other party, nor would he feel depressed or blocked in his heart.

"Tired? Didn't rest well at noon?"

Zhou Xiaobai placed the teacup on the small table by the bed, greeted Li Xuewu, and sat on the bed next to him.

Very naturally, she grabbed his large hand and helped him knead—his hand, arm, and shoulder.

His hand and arm were fine, but when she turned sideways and used both hands to knead Li Xuewu's shoulder, the posture was somewhat ambiguous.

Her body leaned against Li Xuewu's, looking down at Li Xuewu's face. Zhou Xiaobai's hair fell down, just tickling him.

"Giggle—"

Seeing Li Xuewu's nose twitching, Zhou Xiaobai couldn't help but laugh out loud. She let go with her right hand, and half her body leaned on him, using the leverage to tidy her hair by her ear.

"It's long, time for a haircut."

Li Xuewu's eyes were slightly narrowed, his palms facing up, his arm naturally resting on Zhou Xiaobai's lap.

This posture was familiar. In the past, after finishing a bath at the bathhouse, going up to the third floor was just like this.

First knead the hands, then the arms, then put your hands on her lap to knead your shoulders, and then...

Hiss—can't go on. Readers who often go to the third floor of the big bathhouse know clearly that the following content isn't suitable to be written here.

Zhou Xiaobai sat up straight, ignoring Luo Yun, who was pouting and glancing over from the sofa. She gathered her hair with both hands and tied it into a bun with a rubber band.

"I don't want to cut it. I want to grow it long; then I'll braid two pigtails—how pretty that will be."

"Hmm, pretty, and useful too."

Li Xuewu looked at her amusingly, turned sideways to get up, took a sip of tea, and lay back down.

Zhou Xiaobai didn't understand what he meant, but seeing the mischievous smile on his face, she knew it wasn't anything good.

She glared at him coquettishly, pushed his shoulder with both hands to continue kneading, and when she saw him looking over, she even wrinkled her nose.

Li Xuewu looked at her because she was leaning on him. Either lean all the way over or move away. Was she doing this on purpose, scraping against him with those two-ounce buns?

Zhou Xiaobai also discovered that Li Xuewu's gaze wasn't on her face, and her face turned red.

She patted him lightly with the hand kneading his shoulder and pouted, "Where are you looking? Close your eyes!"

"Pfft—"

Luo Yun on the sofa really couldn't stand it anymore. Was this revenge on her on purpose!

Was it because she saw Zuo Jie wasn't here, so she was performing some special ability for her?

She hadn't seen Zhou Xiaobai learn any massage techniques, nor had she heard her mention being able to do this.

What was this for now? Plotting something, forcing herself on him?

If you really want to practice here, you have to say so in advance. I'll clear the place for you quickly; don't give me a sty in my eye.

Zhou Xiaobai ignored her winking and, after coaxing Li Xuewu to close his eyes, kneaded earnestly.

Until she saw Li Xuewu was about to fall asleep, and Luo Yun was tired of chattering over there, she found a book under the coffee table and started reading.

She used the strength of both arms to support herself on the quilt Li Xuewu's shoulder was leaning against, lowered her body, and bit his lips, which were breathing evenly.

She had kissed him before, but very few times, and every time it was her initiative. Usually, she couldn't find an opportunity; today was considered pinning him down.

Li Xuewu opened his eyes groggily, wanting to see who was eating him, but was suddenly covered by his eyes.

Feeling Zhou Xiaobai's weight, this little girl had thrown half her body onto him.

The familiar jasmine scent—was she covering his eyes to play a guessing game?

Hmm, he hadn't played this before, because even if he went to the third floor, he would never move his mouth; it was always Number 8 who did.

"Eh—"

Having long noticed Zhou Xiaobai's plotting, Luo Yun had been staring at her.

Pretending to read was just to make her think she wasn't looking that way. This was a live broadcast right now.

Watching Zhou Xiaobai gnawing so enthusiastically, Luo Yun was both excited and stimulated, grinning and shaking her head.

Such an opportunity was truly rare. At least when she was with Zuo Jie, she would absolutely never do this in front of outsiders; she couldn't even hold hands.

Clatter—

The door was pushed open, and Yu Li walked in carrying a thermos. From the doorway, she saw Zhou Xiaobai acting like a zombie eating someone.

Perhaps awakened by the sound of the door opening, Zhou Xiaobai climbed up in a panic with a red face, her lips slightly red.

"It's fine, continue. I'm just getting some hot water; I'll leave immediately."

Looking at Zhou Xiaobai, who was sitting uneasily with her head down, and Luo Yun, who was covering her mouth and laughing at the spectacle, Yu Li also started joking.

She didn't care at all what Zhou Xiaobai had done; the one lying on the bed wasn't her man.

This was just seeing one who was eating; who knows how many there were who hadn't been seen. Moreover, the one seen hadn't actually been eaten!

"It's all your fault! You didn't come back early or late, but came back at this exact moment, disturbing my beautiful dream!"

Li Xuewu turned sideways to look at Yu Li and helped Zhou Xiaobai out of the predicament, "I just dreamed someone was kissing me, and it was so fragrant, but I was awakened by you."

"Hmm—my fault!"

Yu Li said amusingly, "You continue sleeping; maybe someone else will kiss you."

"I won't sleep anymore. I'm afraid you'll steal a kiss from me; that would be too much of a loss."

Li Xuewu blinked at Zhou Xiaobai, whose gaze was drifting toward him, and said with a smile, "If it were Xiaobai coming to kiss me, that would be fine."

"Hey! What kind of beautiful thing are you thinking about!"

Yu Li pouted, "Also, why would you feel it's a loss if I kiss you? Does that mean you'd earn it if Xiaobai kissed you!"

"Can that be the same—!"

Li Xuewu propped himself up and sat up, shaking his shoulders, "Oh, so comfortable. It still has to be Xiaobai's skill; truly good."

Yu Li looked at him, her back teeth almost shattering. This bastard—when she studied books to learn how to knead for him, she never got such praise.

Zhou Xiaobai got a "particularly comfortable" evaluation after kneading for just a bit—did that mean she didn't provide the lip-gnawing service back then!

Did this even need thinking?

As long as there was value-added service, who would care about basic service!

Zhou Xiaobai was so embarrassed by Li Xuewu's praise that she stood up and went to sit by Luo Yun.

Li Xuewu smiled, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked Yu Li, "Hasn't Guodong come yet? What about Zuo Jie?"

"Don't know—Hmph!"

Yu Li snorted with a hint of jealousy, "Why ask me? Go ask your Xiaobai!"

"Hahaha—!"

Li Xuewu laughed out loud, got out of bed, put on his cloth shoes, and joked, "Hiss—why is it so strange in the room? There's a sour smell; did a vinegar bottle get knocked over?"

"Get lost! Is there a vinegar bottle in your office!"

Yu Li pouted at him and pointed outside the window, "Guodong is here; he just met Zuo Jie. They went to the cafeteria to eat. They both just finished being busy and are hungry."

"Hmm, no rush, let them eat well."

Li Xuewu put down the teacup and asked, "Has the backyard been cleaned up? Master Dou called me that day, saying the work here was finished and asking me to come over and take a look when I had time."

"Hmm, the engineering work is all done."

Yu Li sat behind the desk and introduced, "The guesthouse is still laying out equipment and materials; it might take a few more days to finish."

"The small auditorium has been rearranged, and the functional areas in the backyard have also been connected and synchronized. Opening on May 1st shouldn't be delayed."

"What about the preparation of service staff? Have you recruited people?"

Li Xuewu walked to the sofa and sat down. Luo Yun stood up to refill his teacup with hot water.

Yu Li found a notebook from the shelf and reported, "We didn't expand recruitment much. Ou Xin and the others introduced a few reliable girls, and I kept them after looking at them."

"Oh, and Aunt Lou arranged for a few people to do cleaning and basic work; that should be enough."

"Uncle Lou and the others are back?"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"They came back on Wednesday and left again on Friday."

Yu Li replied, "Uncle Lou said not to disturb your work. They didn't have anything going on; they just came down to look around and buy some things."

"Next time they come down, remember to call me. I have to see them no matter what."

Li Xuewu crossed his right leg, leaning on the sofa, and said, "Supplies on the mountain are scarce, and buying things back and forth isn't convenient. You think about it more and ask often."

He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and exhorted, "Including the others on the mountain, take care of them more. Guodong goes up the mountain often anyway."

"I'm thinking about it. Guodong has been thinking about this matter. Uncle Lou and the others should have come down to relax; the child is a bit homesick."

"Lou Ting, huh—"

Li Xuewu nodded knowingly and said, "It's been quite a while since there was news of Sister Lou, right?"

"She's busy; how would she have time to chat with you every day?"

Yu Li swept her gaze over Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun, her words very subtle.

These two little girls weren't tied tightly enough to Li Xuewu's interest organization; some things couldn't be made clear to them.

Even if Luo Yun and Zuo Jie were boyfriend and girlfriend, it wouldn't work, because Zuo Jie wasn't even a member of Li Xuewu's personal business scope.

Zuo Jie was only a manager here at the club, expanding and broadening Li Xuewu's network, cultivating the continuation and influence of relationships.

He knew some personal business, but it was all semi-public and had nothing to do with Li Xuewu, because Shen Guodong was standing in front blocking.

Revealing these businesses to Zuo Jie was also to give him a sense of belonging and a foundation of trust; it didn't mean he could touch Li Xuewu's core interests.

Zuo Jie couldn't, let alone Luo Yun; they were only boyfriend and girlfriend, not husband and wife.

Even if they were husband and wife, were they worth trusting?

Zhou Xiaobai's identity was fine, but she was afraid she was young and ignorant, and her personality was too unstable.

So even if they were to discuss core issues, they couldn't do it in front of them.

Li Xuewu understood the meaning of her words and didn't speak very thoroughly.

"Time will dilute everything, including relationships between people, feelings, and even longing."

He said with some emotion, "In this world, there has never been a problem of not being able to live without someone, or the earth not turning without someone."

"You really are—if Lou Xiaoe heard this, how sad she would be."

Yu Li said unhappily, "Can't you men be more understanding, more caring toward us women? You're all cold and heartless."

"Hmm, I'm cold and heartless, I'm being unreasonable, okay—"

Li Xuewu shook his head amusingly, looked at Zhou Xiaobai, who was looking at him with curious eyes, and asked, "Am I cold? Am I heartless?"

"Giggle—"

Zhou Xiaobai covered her mouth, looked at his funny expression, shook her head slightly, hesitated, nodded, and finally nodded vigorously.

"Heh—"

Li Xuewu looked at her amusingly, beckoned to Zuo Jie and Shen Guodong, who were knocking and entering, and said, "Come quickly, someone says we men are all cold-blooded animals."

"See, this is what it's like to be a leader."

Yu Li stood up to greet them and joked, "The words I said went through him once, and the meaning changed, the target changed, and it expanded! I have nothing to say."

"Hahaha—"

Shen Guodong and Zuo Jie sat down by the sofa. Zuo Jie naturally sat next to Luo Yun.

Seeing him sit over, Luo Yun pursed her lips reservedly, but being stared at by Zhou Xiaobai made her really embarrassed, so she glared at her.

Ah, so it doesn't count when you're holding him and gnawing, but it's indecent for us to sit together? Is it worth you teasing me like this?

Zhou Xiaobai smiled and pointed at Luo Yun, saying to Zuo Jie, who had just sat down, "She's angry at you, saying she hasn't seen you for ten days or half a month, and wants to break up with you."

"Zhou Xiaobai—! You've learned to be bad!"

Luo Yun shouted, "When did I say I wanted to break up? Can the ability to spread rumors be contagious too!"

When she said this to Zhou Xiaobai, her gaze couldn't help but glance at Li Xuewu.

Zhou Xiaobai blushed from being said so by her, and the two started laughing and playing.

Zuo Jie didn't understand what was going on here, just looking at the joke foolishly. Shen Guodong just smiled and started talking about work with Li Xuewu.

Mainly together with Yu Li, reporting on the business and work progress in the Northeast, the frontier, Jinmen, and Beijing recently.

Jicheng and Steel City in the Northeast, according to the preliminary deployment, carried out acquisitions and operations for a series of local specialties such as timber, nuts, and dried goods.

And according to the status of the steel mill, relying on local specialties sent from outside the pass, they began agent layouts in major cities.

It wasn't a comprehensive rollout, just unfolding operations and acquisition businesses in the capacity of a distribution agent.

The trade routes inside and outside the pass were thus connected to Beijing with Steel City and Yingcheng as nodes.

And Jinmen, as the core point connecting the trade management center and influencing the shipping business of the Jinmen Port wharf, the recycling station was building a branch station with Wu Shufang as the core person in charge.

Li Xuewu was also considering who to send to assist Teacher Wu in carrying out business work. It had to be someone familiar with the work process of the recycling station, someone with a certain amount of work experience, and someone trustworthy.

Shen Guodong gave a suggestion: Old Five and Old Six from the Thirteen Guardians could go to Jinmen, and finding another capable person would be about right.

After all, even if Jinmen were to be established, it would be linked with Beijing, communicating shipping and inland river transport.

Jinmen is very close to Beijing, with convenient transportation, so there's no need to worry too much about controlling costs.

Actually, Li Xuewu had an ideal candidate in mind, and that was Zhou Wang Yamei.

It's just that he hadn't been to Steel City for quite a while, and he didn't know what Zhou Wang Yamei was thinking.

Whether to stay in Steel City or come to Jinmen to live and work.

Li Xuewu didn't want to make things difficult for her; what she cared about was the child's education and growth, which was more precious than work and career.

Therefore, in the case of not being sure whether Zhou Wang Yamei could bring her personnel work to Jinmen, he still had to find someone to be responsible for the execution work.

"How about Zhou Changli?"

Yu Li thought for a moment and suggested, "He's still very smart and has been tempered for a period of time; he can handle some execution work."

"Hmm, not very suitable."

Li Xuewu shook his head slightly, "Using him is for placing him in shipping; at least it's not convenient to use him now, and he's not suitable for the recycling station's work."

"What about Erhai?"

Shen Guodong saw Li Xuewu frowning and thinking, thought for a moment, and asked, "Should we transfer Erhai back? If Third Uncle is too busy over there, transfer Old Seven and Old Eight over to help, and take them along to learn."

"Hmm, that's a feasible method."

Li Xuewu nodded slowly, "If Third Uncle can manage over there, we can slowly go through the people. If Erhai achieves something, I'd be very pleased to see the continuation of this situation."

"Then please communicate with Third Uncle, Yu Jie."

Shen Guodong looked at Yu Li and said, "At the same time, ask about Third Uncle's next arrangements, whether there's anything needing support from home, so we can be prepared."

"I know, I'll contact him tomorrow."

Yu Li nodded and said, "If Erhai can come back, it's naturally good. With Biazi in the Northeast, you in Beijing, and Erhai in Jinmen, we can all rest easy."

"Still have to watch slowly, no rush."

Li Xuewu leaned on the sofa and said, "The cultivation and learning of people are still very important. I'd rather see Erhai's growth; he's still too young."

"He's been out for more than half a year, he should have learned quite a few things. If it really doesn't work, I'll run back and forth."

Shen Guodong said, "Arrange for Old Five and Old Six to go to Jinmen, and I'll go a few times a month."

"No, things can't be done like that."

Li Xuewu shook his head slightly, "Especially in the initial stage of entrepreneurship, being vague will lead to problems."

"Then fine, let's call Erhai back."

Shen Guodong thought it was the same; he was busy enough in Beijing, and if he really had to attend to both places, he wouldn't be able to run fast.

"Brother Wu, do I need to help?"

Listening to Li Xuewu and the others discussing the matter of opening a recycling station in Jinmen, Zhou Xiaobai took the initiative to speak, "If it's in Jinmen, it's not far from home, I can go over to help."

"You? Go to Jinmen to work?"

Li Xuewu looked at her unexpectedly, smiled, and asked, "Can your parents agree to you going so far?"

"It's not far, is it? It only takes two hours by train. I really want to work."

Zhou Xiaobai said with longing, "Moreover, you even gave me a general manager position. Isn't going to Jinmen just right for developing business?"

"Uh..."

Li Xuewu heard Zhou Xiaobai talking about this general manager position and was also a bit hesitant and scratching his head.

It seemed he hadn't made it clear to Zhou Xiaobai that this general manager position was like the status of a rich second generation.

They didn't need to pay for management and investment; they just needed to lie down and take the money.

If they really had a whim and insisted on playing with management and investment, they might become prodigals.

Their original intention must be good, all hoping to make money and succeed, but things often go contrary to their wishes.

How did that saying go?

If you don't manage money, money won't be lost; if you manage money, money won't manage you.

"Let's see. This is just a discussion."

Li Xuewu smiled at her and said, "Wait until there's a certain amount; if it's suitable, I'll let you go to Jinmen to work. Don't go back on your word then."

"How could I? I want to build a career."

Zhou Xiaobai nodded earnestly, "I'll wait for your news, and then I'll tell my parents."

Hiss—

Li Xuewu pursed his lips. Actually, what he was afraid of was this. If Zhou Lang Zhennan really knew he had put his precious daughter in Jinmen to be the face, would he come overnight to clean him up?

If the Zhou family really agreed, Li Xuewu would be more than happy for Zhou Xiaobai to go to Jinmen.

Never mind a general manager; giving her a general-general manager position would be fine. Every day at work is just playing; there's nothing to do, just show her face when talking about cooperation and dare to say who her father is.

Of course, Li Xuewu couldn't use Zhou Xiaobai like this. Zhou Xiaobai might be willing, but he wouldn't be, because Zhou Lang Zhennan definitely wouldn't be.

After coaxing Zhou Xiaobai to temporarily put this idea aside, he listened to Zuo Jie talk about the Youth Association.

This kid really took this matter as a career. He cherished this opportunity very much; after all, it was the first time he was responsible for a project himself, and it was one he was relatively good at.

Relying on the mystery of the Big Mansion Club, relying on the influence of the small cars and jeeps that often entered and exited here, he truly hadn't made few friends lately.

The current situation had changed greatly, and many descendants with backgrounds and abilities no longer had the mind to play politics.

And those with brains knew they had to retreat while they were ahead; the era of barbarism had passed.

The Youth Association also quietly rose in this group under this form.

Very mysterious, but the introduction was simple: it was a branch of that mysterious club in the East City, considered a reserve force.

Regarding this club, many young people had heard of it, especially the incident where someone in their circle was beaten up a while ago.

Someone had already received an invitation letter and obtained a badge, wearing it on their chest very mysteriously.

The front of the badge was three youths carrying a red flag, and the flagpole of the red flag seemed to be the number 1.

Someone called this club Number 1.

Of course, the club wasn't named that, but was called the Dongfeng Sports Club.

The youth club in the club wasn't named that either, but was called the Youth Association.

Printed below the badge were four characters: Young and Promising. ===== CHAPTER 1059 =====