Chapter 1140: Old Li is quite cunning when it comes to organizing things

"Where did the United Savings Bank get the money?"

When he was about to get off work on Friday, Li Xuewu met Kuang Yusheng at the building entrance.

He also came to intercept Li Xuewu on purpose, for the sake of Deputy Director Cheng's new work arrangement.

In the afternoon, Cheng Kaiyuan called him into the office and urged him to carry out systematic research on joint industry and tertiary industry.

Kuang Yusheng didn't understand Cheng Kaiyuan's meaning; is this an old man eating arsenic?

Who in the Red Star Factory doesn't know that joint industry and tertiary industry have always been the work scope managed by Jing Yunong and coordinated by Li Xuewu.

Now that Cheng Kaiyuan is letting him intervene, is this sowing discord, or driving a tiger to swallow a wolf?

Sowing discord is easy to say, but driving a tiger to swallow a wolf would make him angry.

Who the hell is the tiger, and who the hell is the wolf?

If he goes to clash head-on with Jing Yunong and Li Xuewu, then he is truly a tiger.

Cheng Kaiyuan certainly couldn't explain it clearly to him, just handing over the work was enough.

Do you think Deputy Director Cheng would speak very clearly?

Ah, Director Li tacitly allowed me to challenge the nerves of the existing stubborn forces, and you are exploring the way for me?

Even a child wouldn't speak so stupidly when asking for snacks.

Kuang Yusheng had figured out some flavor in his heart, but just couldn't be sure.

According to the finalized group structure, there is no such thing as joint industry and tertiary industry in the future.

Joint industry and tertiary industry are products that the Red Star Factory cannot independently complete control over at present.

Once the groupization reform is completed, the Red Star Factory will have the ability to realize market liberalization reform and exploration in the planned economy.

In the process of groupization, it is inevitable to promote the creation and division of branch companies.

But in Kuang Yusheng's understanding, this work should be completed by Jing Yunong and Li Xuewu.

After all, the framework was originally set up by them, so naturally, they should be the ones to make arrangements.

Now that Cheng Kaiyuan is pushing him out, isn't this testing the waters by looking at his close relationship with Li Xuewu?

Kuang Yusheng was also depressed; did I become a stone? Am I not a tiger?

"Insurance money, and public account deposits."

Li Xuewu glanced at him and asked: "What's wrong? Something up?"

"Hmm, anything to do tonight?"

Kuang Yusheng flicked the cigarette butt in his hand, his expression somewhat difficult, and asked: "Drink a little together?"

He knew about the public account deposits, but the insurance money was a bit special.

The United Savings Bank was established, and the employees' wages would be issued through accounts from now on.

And after completing the employee wage savings work, the savings bank began the docking of this work.

The account dealings between the Red Star Factory and the Ministry of Industry, and the capital dealings between the Red Star Factory and cooperation units, or purchasing and sales units.

The planned economy has a triangular economic zone, which is that supply and sales must be planned, and production must have capital.

Both sides are managed by industrial departments, which constitutes a triangular management relationship.

Now the Red Star Factory is exploring and reforming the market economy; in order to complete the control of capital and the constraints of account dealings, public-to-public business dealings must go through bank deposit accounts.

In other words, the Red Star Factory must not only strive to promote the Ministry of Industry to set up public accounts at the United Savings Bank, but also promote joint units, as well as supply chain cooperation units to carry out deposits.

This is not all; in the business development plan of the United Savings Bank, while achieving the above goals, it must also carry out external investment and cooperation.

And, it must experimentally simplify the steps of the Ministry of Industry managing capital accounts.

What does it mean?

It means that after the supply and sales units report the plan and obtain approval, they can directly remit to the Red Star Factory through deposits at the United Savings Bank to complete the settlement of projects or trade payments, omitting the intermediate link of the Ministry of Industry collecting and paying for goods.

Without the "middleman" making the difference, trade dealings, order production, and business communication are more convenient and fast, and the capital turnover time can be greatly accelerated, which can also reduce management costs.

You might ask, would the "middleman" be willing to do this?

Indeed, without capital management, those above would lose a layer of restraint on supply and sales units and production units, so there are naturally concerns.

But at the same time, we must also see the advantages of such a management model; after losing the business of capital management, the Ministry of Industry can lay off a whole system of people, and can also save a lot of financial expenses.

Appropriately relaxing the management and constraints on capital can effectively stimulate economic development and bring unprecedented vitality to industrial development.

Li Huai De, with the support of Jing Yunong and Li Xuewu, and with the support of the Red Star United Savings Bank, is talking to those above about this matter.

The attitude above is also very vague; they didn't say the Red Star Factory was messing around, let alone criticize the Red Star Factory for taking a detour and making a mistake.

Even if this kind of reform really moves some people's positions and moves some people's cakes.

People with insight above can also see the clumsiness of the Ministry of Industry in managing the relationship between supply and sales and capital.

They are willing to see attempts and changes, and are even more willing to see factories standing up to actively dedicate themselves to experiments.

The Red Star Factory has typical industrial reform characteristics and is a very good experimental observation object.

Therefore, under the attitude of wanting to carry out reforms and experiments above, the Ministry of Industry has also repeatedly relaxed management standards for the Red Star Factory.

Generally speaking, it is very normal for a factory to establish a savings office, but it is rare to establish a savings bank in one step and obtain a special channel for handling foreign exchange through cooperation and joint operation, because no one dares to take such a big step.

Those above watching the Red Star Factory make trouble are also terrified; this kind of behavior of dancing on the edge of a knife is no different from pulling chestnuts from the fire, extremely bold.

But what cannot be denied is that in the past two years, the Red Star Factory has achieved relatively successful results in industry, economy, and trade.

It has also provided some inspection materials for heavy industry transformation, internal economic development, and marketization.

The Ministry of Industry, and even those above, have several different opinions, not just about the Red Star Factory.

It is about the entire industrial development and economic development.

Some advocate marketization, some propose conservative economy, and more propose more experiments.

Li Huai De, with Li Xuewu's help and support, led the Red Star Factory to quietly become a pioneer of reform and also became a not-so-typical radical faction.

You say the Red Star Factory is relatively radical in industrial and economic development, but the Red Star Factory does not have financial deficits and high debts; investment doesn't count!

The 15 million smashed in by the Dongcheng Credit Union is not a loan, but an investment.

In the financial system, the Red Star Factory is stable, and even in order to achieve a normal and standardized management system for economic and financial systems, it specially established a United Savings Bank to operate independently for control.

And in industrial production, bolder explorations and practices are all placed in joint industry and tertiary industry.

You say the Red Star Factory is too radical?

What those above see is that the Red Star Factory has achieved stability that the radical faction cannot achieve in conservatism.

In the industrial system reform experiment, tertiary industry implements an integrated industrial management system with the characteristics of small scale, many categories, and high quality.

Independent finance, self-responsibility for profits and losses, production and management have achieved relative fairness and win-win cooperation.

The products of tertiary industry will be supplied to joint units, and will also be supplied and operated externally.

No matter which one it is, it is for the dual purpose of profit and service, which has justified the tertiary industry that has always been service-oriented and operated at a loss.

Tertiary industry can also be highly profitable.

Joint industry cooperation, joint-stock operation by multiple enterprises, independent factory construction, supporting industrial production, creating clustered industrial production bases, forming industrial zones for automobiles, ships, electronics, hardware, food, etc.

Everyone makes money, everyone shares the credit; this win-win production and operation model exists at this time, but it hasn't been done this well.

Everyone makes money, everyone shares the credit, then the risks are also shared by everyone.

Can you still say the Red Star Factory is very radical?

But look at the businesses the Red Star Factory does and the reforms it makes, you can't say it's conservative.

Therefore, the Red Star Factory, which is on the road of development and reform, has become a typical research object for the mixed development of heavy industry and light industry.

Now, even if the Red Star Factory does something out of line again and proposes any reform projects and suggestions, those above will not easily veto them.

Industrial development and market diversification have become a major trend, which cannot be blocked by human intervention, let alone anyone blocking it.

It's very simple; even those who hold conservative opinions are willing to see more excellent commodities, more supply and sales opportunities, and a more prosperous situation in the market.

Tickets are completely a manifestation of the market not being mature and needing a planned economy to regulate.

If ticket payment can be set aside in economic trade, it can prove that the market has the ability to self-adapt and regulate.

Just like parents holding a child to learn to walk, don't parents want to see the child leave the adult's palm and learn to walk by themselves?

The marketization experiment carried out by the Red Star Factory is more like an economic interaction mode between factories, and between factories and workers, within the scope of public-to-public business, which is different from complete marketization.

According to the instructions on May 7th last year, what the Red Star Factory is doing is the practice and exploration of this instruction.

Influenced by Mr. Z coming here for research and inspection, *** has also paid attention to the Red Star Factory.

Upon learning that the Red Star Factory has set up small factories and factory schools, and even made them flourish, he is very satisfied.

He wants to see the birth of relatively excellent leaders among the worker collective and see the clearing of some backward and rotten ideological dross in the process of industrial development.

Therefore, regarding the current development status of the Red Star Factory, it is not that no one has raised questions and discussions, but they are all within a controllable and good range, and they are about the matter, not the person.

Li Huai De is a timid person; if he found the wind was wrong, he would have hidden long ago, so how could he be jumping up and down to engage in cars and aircraft?

The more experiments and efforts the Red Star Factory makes in the process of upgrading and groupization, the higher his score above, and the more he can reflect the characteristics of having radicalism in conservatism and ensuring stability in radicalism.

To put it bluntly, Old Li is quite cunning when it comes to organizing things.

What's fresh is that every time he can play new tricks.

"How big a deal is it?"

Li Xuewu smiled and poured a beer for Kuang Yusheng, looking at him and asking: "Making you so difficult."

Kuang Yusheng had a difficult look of life being hard, and Li Xuewu couldn't refuse him.

But just the two of them couldn't form any big situation, and there was no need to run to the city.

To tell the truth, he really doesn't like going to restaurants in the city, and has no intention of eating at all.

Or rather, the restaurants in the city now are purely for eating.

You want to say three or five close friends sitting together to drink, chat, and pull some eggs.

In this year, outside, do you dare to say anything?

Moreover, restaurants at this time will not be open too late, basically ending at seven or eight o'clock.

You want to step on a box of beer and drink slowly, and drink a meal until the second half of the night, dream on.

Generally speaking, Li Xuewu comes back to the reception house for drinking among factory colleagues.

For private friend dealings, he takes the other side to the club.

If there is a real business entertainment, he goes directly to the International Hotel, high-end, atmospheric, and classy.

He and Kuang Yusheng don't have any deep personal friendship.

Just think, one is in his forties, one is in his early twenties, how could they have common interests?

They see each other less at work, let alone after work, basically not seeing each other.

However, there is a kind of emotion in this era called hierarchical emotion.

It sounds very special, but it is actually determined by ideology and identity stance.

After contradictions and friction, Li Xuewu and Kuang Yusheng had common career thoughts and attitudes and goals to strive for in their work.

With Li Xuewu's support, Kuang Yusheng became more comfortable in the Production Management Department.

And with Kuang Yusheng's help, Li Xuewu had new channels for understanding and managing the Red Star Factory.

Li Xuewu knows nothing about design and production; his achievements in the tertiary and industrial fields rely entirely on the support of Xia Zhongquan and Kuang Yusheng.

One is the manager of the technical department, and one is the head of the production department.

Three men gathered together, and Li Xuewu was the existence of the idea king.

It's also a coincidence that the three of them partnered together; although they didn't have any personal feelings, they had considerable tacit understanding in their work, and had the meaning of watching and helping each other.

Both also received enough support from Li Xuewu.

In the Red Star Factory's comprehensive management of the Management Committee, Xia Zhongquan was supposed to retire to the second line.

But he was pushed up by Li Xuewu, becoming the chief engineer.

Not only responsible for the technical management work of tertiary and joint industry, but also undertook the technical leadership responsibility of the whole factory, and was the head of technology.

And Kuang Yusheng?

This old guy's temper is like a stubborn donkey, the kind that won't move when pulled, and moves backward when beaten.

Before, his relationship with Nie Chenglin was very good; they were of the same lineage.

Very naturally, Li Huai De walked to the front of the stage, and he was bound to belong to the group that was not liked.

However, it was under Li Xuewu's operation that Kuang Yusheng not only sat firmly in the position of the Production Management Office, but also eased his relationship with Li Huai De.

Old Li also reacted slowly from his initial complacency.

Kuang Yusheng doesn't have high political thinking, let alone any organizational pursuit.

In other words, the height Nie Chenglin reached was the peak in Kuang Yusheng's mind.

What height?

Deputy factory director in charge of production.

Is this position very important?

Of course, this is a core management position in a factory; it is a position of power that is beyond reproach.

However, the deputy factory director in charge of production generally needs higher qualifications.

In other words, you walk from the workshop step by step, and when you reach the position of deputy factory director, you will basically reach the point after doing one or two terms.

High qualifications became their amulet, and also became their tight-fitting spell.

For so many years, the only person who walked from the production deputy factory director to the factory director position in the Red Star Factory was Yang Fengshan.

Yang Fengshan didn't rely purely on production management to get up; he also had the support of big leaders behind him.

Therefore, Li Huai De didn't have a defensive heart against Kuang Yusheng, but rather wanted to win him over.

Nie Chenglin, who was in charge of production before, was old and couldn't compete with Li Huai De.

But the new Cheng Kaiyuan is not old; he was a factory director before.

Pure production factory director background, qualifications, and age are advantages; you tell me who Old Li is defending against?

Therefore, Kuang Yusheng not only couldn't be moved away, but also had to reinforce his position to serve as a stumbling block for Cheng Kaiyuan.

And Kuang Yusheng, in his communication with Li Xuewu, also understood that face is not important; what is important is active communication and doing the work well.

Therefore, for Old Li, he showed more helpless obedience.

Just as Li Xuewu said, Li Huai De is easier to serve (fool) than other leaders.

Old Li knows nothing; you go to him with production problems, and he asks three questions and gets three "I don't know"s.

Many things can be delegated to you, to be handled by yourself.

As long as you can gain his trust, he will give you enough soil to create results.

You have to ensure that when you get results, you give the biggest share to Old Li.

Actually, it was like this originally; when you receive an award, can you say in front of everyone that this achievement was all fought for by yourself, and the leader had nothing to do with it?

Since there is no way to change, then change yourself first and adapt to the environment.

Kuang Yusheng also restrained his temper and did as Li Xuewu suggested.

The effect was unexpectedly good; Old Li supported his work quite well.

So much so that Cheng Kaiyuan treated him like a thorn in his side.

Especially in several of his actions, the Production Management Department didn't cooperate at all, making Cheng Kaiyuan a joke in the Red Star Factory, and making Old Li laugh.

Old Li knows very well that he can't get Kuang Yusheng's heart, but he can get Kuang Yusheng's person.

Actually, this is enough.

Who is Old Li?

An old player who walks the kidneys but not the heart; what does he want Kuang Yusheng's heart for!

He only needs Kuang Yusheng to support him with practical actions and not let Cheng Kaiyuan float.

After more than a year of cooperation, Kuang Yusheng thought it through and straightened out his train of thought.

It's just that he never expected that Cheng Kaiyuan would soften his attitude toward Old Li; what is this situation?

Husband and wife fighting on the bed and reconciling at the end of the bed?

Then what is he?

"Thank you, add some spice for me."

Li Xuewu smiled and gestured to Kuang Yusheng opposite to Xiao Jin, explaining: "Director Kuang has a heavy taste."

"Okay, leader—"

Xiao Jin smiled and took the fish in the bowl to the kitchen; she didn't have a trace of impatience for Li Xuewu's request, and even hoped to help Li Xuewu more.

Kuang Yusheng looked at Li Xuewu with gratitude, picked up the wine glass, and drank it down.

"Just this little thing?"

Li Xuewu heard his narrative, amusedly handed a skewer of meat over.

This was still the legacy of him eating skewers at Kunming Lake last year.

Qin Huairu imitated the barbecue stove in the West Courtyard and set up a barbecue stall on the side of the reception house.

Don't say, in the summer, especially at night, a box of beer, two or three friends, a large plate of grilled fish, a plate of skewers, really fragrant.

Beef and mutton are the characteristic commodities of the factory, purely nourished by the water of Tianshan.

Two trains per month, the refrigerated train is basically running all year round now.

If it weren't for the fact that the investment in the locomotive was too unnecessary, Li Huai De would have wanted to do it himself.

Actually, railway transportation is not that expensive now, especially for this kind of long-term cooperation.

Beijing Railway is also eating these welfare products, so they naturally won't let the Red Star Factory ruin this stall.

So this business is doing better and better, and the specialties received from the border are getting more and more.

The Red Star Factory's office in the border started with more than twenty people, and now it has developed into a team of more than a hundred people, a proper section-level unit.

The office stationed in Wucheng has already begun to send three-level branches to surrounding cities.

Mainly for the convenience of procurement and distribution; news came from Ding Wanqiu that they are about to be too busy to handle it.

With such trainloads of beef and mutton and wool being transported to the interior, and truckloads of industrial products being sent to the border, aren't there relevant departments paying attention and stopping it?

Attention will naturally be paid, but why stop it?

The specialties of the border are originally very difficult to transport out, and the products of the interior are very difficult to transport in.

The supply and sales system is comprehensive, but it doesn't hinder units like the Red Star Factory from actively cooperating.

The border is so big, there are so many pastures, and so many farms, things can't be transported out.

It is rare for enterprises to have the ability to transport refrigerated meat by train in the summer.

Even the supply and sales system cannot be so comprehensive and monolithic.

Moreover, most importantly, the livestock raw materials transported by the Red Star Factory from the border mostly flow to the surrounding supply and sales systems and factories.

Wool is handed over to tertiary industry for production, not to mention that, excluding the division of joint industry and supply chain systems, the remaining meat products are handed over to the recycling station, and distributed to the Beijing Supply and Sales Cooperative and internal supply and demand units by them.

Just like the Si Courtyard, because of the cooperative relationship, their canteen can eat this kind of meat.

Summer is here, the grapes in Turpan are about to ripen; before, they had to be dried into raisins to achieve interior supply and sales, but now tons of grapes are transported directly to the interior, and along the way, they were exchanged for necessities; these industrial products were then distributed to other cities.

The Red Star Factory can not only dispatch two refrigerated trains, but also dispatch train cars from the Beijing Railway Station.

With the maximum and highest limit, as long as the Beijing Railway Station can give them out, the Red Star Factory can use them.

This kind of cooperation is deep, extensive, and exceeds the scope that other factories can understand.

The Red Star Factory uses small trains to transport coal and steel materials to the factory, which will be earlier than other units.

On one hand, it is the joint trade operated by the Trade Management Center, which has the need for transportation and sales.

On the other hand, the freight station in cooperation with the Red Star Factory and the railway station is blossoming in the city where the office is located.

The basis of cooperation is to achieve a win-win situation and have persistence.

Units are like this, and people are like this.

Li Xuewu picked up the wine glass and touched it with Kuang Yusheng, "Do it as you should."

"You mean—"

Kuang Yusheng held the wine glass, looking at Li Xuewu somewhat blankly.

Li Xuewu poured him a full glass with the wine pot and said: "That's what it means."

In this year, many beers are loose, and the bottle is more expensive than the beer.

Buying bottled beer also requires a deposit, and there are breweries that go bankrupt because they can't get the bottles back.

Just think, based on Qin Huairu's virtue, can she sell bottled beer here?

A large beer barrel is placed at the front desk, sold by the thermos, thermos-filled beer, keeping it cool and keeping the gas.

"Industry is developing, and the times are progressing."

After Li Xuewu filled it for him, he also filled a glass for himself.

Drinking beer in the summer is quite comfortable, but he doesn't dare to drink too much.

He has to go home to accompany his wife and children in a while; the smell of alcohol all over his body is not appropriate.

"The Red Star Factory is also constantly moving forward; you and I are both progressing with the times and with the factory."

His tone was very relaxed, and he said naturally: "You can't always stare at your own stall."

"I don't quite understand—"

Kuang Yusheng put down the wine glass in his hand, looked at Li Xuewu, and asked: "Do you have any arrangements?"

"Definitely! Although I didn't see it—!"

He pointed to the table and said seriously: "I don't believe you don't see the mystery in this, and I don't believe you don't have preparations to dismantle the move."

"You damn even dare to pit foreign devils!"

Kuang Yusheng was in a bad mood, drinking beer and drinking hard, so he was a bit drunk.

He shook his head slightly, looked at the horse urine in the wine glass, and said: "I'm just pondering."

"How can I not figure it out, Old Li, ah, he will get together with...?"

"Also—"

Kuang Yusheng was full of doubts, as if his brain couldn't turn and was about to burn, looking at Li Xuewu and saying: "Will you

"Don't talk nonsense—"

Li Xuewu laughed and reached out to cover his mouth, reminding him: "When the hell did I ever screw over the foreigners... or whatever? This bad reputation of mine was spread by you, wasn't it!"

"And another thing! I am, by nature, a simple and kind person—"

"Bullshit—!"

Kuang Yusheng's mouth stretched almost to his ears as he pointed at his beer mug and said: "I'm drunk, not stupid. Do you think I'd believe that?"

"Comrade Xiao Jin—!"

He called out to Xiao Jin, who had just brought over the dishes, and pointed at Li Xuewu, asking: "Do you believe what he just said? He claims he's simple and kind—"

"Leader—"

Xiao Jin could tell that the two leaders were joking around, and she didn't know how to get involved.

But since Division Chief Kuang had asked her, she couldn't just dodge it. She glanced at the smiling Deputy Director Li and nodded: "I believe it. Whatever Deputy Director Li says, I believe!"

"Delusional—!"

Kuang Yusheng waved his hand in annoyance and said: "Go, go, go, get back to your work—"

He complained with feigned anger: "You've been deceived by him and you don't even know it!"

"Leader, please take your time drinking. I'll go get your dishes—"

Xiao Jin suppressed a laugh, greeted the two of them, and then left.

Li Xuewu laughed and pushed the grilled fish in front of him, saying: "Let's stop drinking for now. Let's eat and chat."

"Why don't you tell me?"

Kuang Yusheng leaned in, his face flushed, and asked in a low voice: "What are your plans?"

"Really, I promise I won't tell anyone—"

He held up his finger as a vow: "I swear to heaven."

"You really are drunk—"

Li Xuewu curled his lip and explained: "Is the Red Star Factory yours or mine?"

"You have to remember one thing: only when the Red Star Factory is doing well is it truly good—"

He pointed at Kuang Yusheng, then at himself, and said: "If you're good and I'm good, that doesn't count as good."

"The United Industry and the Third Industry must carry out their work under the leadership of the Factory Management Committee. Do you know why?"

Li Xuewu looked at him and emphasized: "Because they are a part of the Red Star Factory's industrial composition."

"They were created with the support and help of the Factory Management Committee, so naturally, the Management Committee should manage and operate them."

"What's more—"

He nodded slowly and said to Kuang Yusheng: "I presided over the design of the group organizational structure; do you think I don't know that the two industries need to be integrated?"

"Division Chief Kuang, you've underestimated me, Li Xuewu—"

Li Xuewu raised his glass to clink with his, raised an eyebrow, and said: "Do you really think my pursuit is limited to the small, immediate benefits right in front of me?"

"Do you think I would disregard the development opportunities and landscape of the Red Star Factory just to act arbitrarily for my own selfish interests?"

After saying this, he downed the wine in his glass in one gulp and let out a hiccup.

The stuffiness of the summer day dissipated with the alcohol and sweat, only to return to his body with the heat of the food, completing a replenishment and cycle.

"If, and I mean if—"

Kuang Yusheng also drank his last glass with him. After putting down the glass, he looked at Li Xuewu and asked: "If he messes up the integration of the two industries, what will you do?"

"Who? Who is going to mess it up?"

Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly and asked: "Who would dare to mess up the two economic pillars of the Red Star Factory? Who has the power and ability to do that?"

"Do you think he's a bad egg in the organization?"

He pointed at Kuang Yusheng and said: "He is a leader, he is a comrade of yours and mine. We must be united—!"

"If there really is a problem with the integration work, then I'll be coming for you first!"

Li Xuewu looked at Kuang Yusheng seriously and said: "You are the person responsible for the specific work!"

"I'll be damned—"

Kuang Yusheng was just about to retort, wondering how he had become the person responsible.

However, in an instant, his drunken mind cleared, leaving him stunned for three seconds.

That's right, Cheng Kaiyuan is the Deputy Director in charge of production work; he is the person responsible for the Production Management Division.

If they really were to execute the research on the Third Industry and United Industry and start studying integration policies, wouldn't it be up to him to take the lead?

All afternoon he had thought of Li Huai De, Cheng Kaiyuan, Jing Yunong, and Li Xuewu, but he hadn't thought of himself.

Unknowingly, he had become an important pawn in the power struggle between Li Xuewu and the Factory Management Committee.

He had been riding a donkey while looking for a donkey, forgetting the business he himself was supposed to be in charge of.

Kuang Yusheng had only been thinking about where he should stand amidst the power struggle in the factory because of this matter.

And Li Xuewu's words had awakened him; he was no longer just a pawn to be manipulated.

At this moment, Li Xuewu suddenly letting go, and Jing Yunong's surprisingly cooperative attitude—wasn't that just a tactic in the power struggle?

Old Li must have made compromises and concessions in some aspect, and Jing Yunong and Li Xuewu had also adopted corresponding attitudes.

Logically, Old Li was going to play the Cheng Kaiyuan card.

And was Li Xuewu afraid of the Cheng Kaiyuan card?

Clearly, Li Xuewu had long since seen through this card, and it was now his turn to enter the game.

And then what?

Cheng Kaiyuan, taking advantage of this opportunity, would see the United Industry and Third Industry incorporated into the Production Management Division's jurisdiction during the group integration process.

In other words, the person most directly affected was actually him, the Division Chief of the Management Division.

Cheng Kaiyuan seemed to have gained management rights over two important industries, but in reality, his authority was limited. After all his tossing and turning, wasn't he still just shifting things around within the production management field?

And what about Jing Yunong?

Not only had he fully grasped the Jinmen Trade Management Center, but he had also secured the United Savings Bank.

In today's Red Star Factory, the importance of finance, economics, and trade work was rising daily.

Production work was increasingly becoming foundational work, the hardest area in which to achieve results.

Comparing the two, did Cheng Kaiyuan win, or did Jing Yunong win?

Looking back at Li Xuewu, had he lost everything?

Absolutely not. Li Xuewu was the house winning everything; this was a game he had designed long ago.

It seemed as though Li Xuewu had done all the work and lost all the management, but!

His influence had already spread, and he didn't need to use this traditional superior-subordinate form to bind and develop his own power.

As the general trend dictated, what Li Xuewu was doing was what was most beneficial to the Red Star Factory.

Therefore, Li Huai De had to listen to his instructions, which could be seen from the work arrangements.

No matter how much Old Li disliked the tedious work on his schedule, have you ever seen him complain?

Even if he pushed the schedule back, he wouldn't say he wasn't going to do it.

If even Li Huai De had to listen to him, what was there in the Red Star Factory that he couldn't do?

Just as he said, did he need to personally take charge of the integration of the Third Industry and United Industry?

He didn't need to, because he was already here; he was looking at this matter from a higher level than Cheng Kaiyuan, and in itself, he had already won.

Conversely, Cheng Kaiyuan, short-sighted, secretly pleased with himself, and still playing with his little tricks, was like a clown acting as a vanguard for Li Huai De to seek support and develop his own power, all without realizing it.

In the cooperation and struggle between Li Xuewu and Li Huai De, this approach made him look like a clown, and he didn't even know it.

To put it more bluntly, Old Li couldn't even trust Li Xuewu, whom he had personally supported and who had always supported and cooperated with him, and was constantly on guard against him. Could he easily trust a turncoat like Cheng Kaiyuan?

That's a joke!

"Damn, it's all a setup!"

Kuang Yusheng slammed his glass down. Having figured out these pros and cons, he suddenly felt that today's depression and confusion were meaningless; the alcohol had been wasted.

It really wasn't worth suffering for the power struggles between a few old foxes.

"When are you going to take the next step?"

Kuang Yusheng ate a piece of spicy grilled fish and looked at Li Xuewu, asking: "End of this year? Or early next year? Early next year would be most appropriate, right?"

He certainly had reason to ask this. Li Xuewu wanted to cut off the United Industry, cut off the Third Industry, and cut off the work of the Security Division—wasn't that a rebirth, a transformation into an immortal?

From the Security Division all the way up, the number of people who had died or fallen because of him was countless.

If he wanted to resolve his karma, he had to be willing to give something up; without shedding his skin, how could he mount the horse?

If Li Xuewu didn't cut off the industry, trade, and the Security Division, he would always be a security cadre.

Or rather, he would always be an opportunistic young security cadre.

Only by the end of this year, or at the latest early next year, must he jump out of the three realms and escape the five elements.

In this way, after lying low in a new work field for a period of time, coming back out to preside over work would become reasonable and natural.

It was just that there was a gap between thinking it through and doing it. Kuang Yusheng was already over forty; he understood everything, even if his temper was bad.

But thinking that Li Xuewu was only in his early twenties and had already figured this out, and had arranged the next step, and even the step after that, made him feel like he had lost out. Why hadn't he thought of it back then?

Why was the gap between people so large?

Look at him now: he was a Division Chief and a Team Leader, while Li Xuewu was a Deputy Division Chief and Deputy Team Leader.

But Li Xuewu's organizational status had already surpassed his. If he took another step forward...

No need for "if." Li Xuewu had sacrificed so much; even if Li Huai De didn't care about himself, he would have to pull Li Xuewu up, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to get any work done.

Early next year, a twenty-two-year-old Division Chief, a cadre with absolute influence in every field of the Red Star Factory, would step to the forefront...

Thinking of this, he felt that the fish today tasted really sour—!

"Hehe—you should eat more fish!"

Li Xuewu chuckled and gestured for him to eat more, while he himself took the soup Xiao Jin had handed him and began to drink.

"You eat, I'll tell you about something, just keep it in mind."

He didn't answer Kuang Yusheng's question directly, but instead changed the subject.

"Today, the branch bureau sent a coordination letter. Three employees from the boiler workshop participated in a fight the day before yesterday morning after getting off work."

"The boiler workshop?"

Kuang Yusheng frowned and asked: "How come I didn't know? Damn it, the people below didn't report it!"

"I don't care, that's your business."

Li Xuewu pointed at him seriously and reminded him: "The Security Division has already sent the branch bureau's preliminary notification to you; you should know what's going on."

"Zhou Yao told me that Nie Xiaoguang's shadow should be in this, but it's still under investigation."

"Deputy Factory Director Nie's child?"

Kuang Yusheng's frown deepened. He put down his chopsticks and asked: "What does he want to do?"

"I don't know. The Security Division has already set up a special task force just to investigate this fight."

Li Xuewu tapped the table seriously and said: "Don't think that this fight is just a common occurrence. I'm telling you, there's more to it than that."

"It's not just the Security Division investigating; the branch bureau has also launched an operation."

He reminded him: "Director Li's instruction is that the Red Star Factory and its employees are strictly forbidden from getting involved in this matter."

"He gave me a death order: whoever dares to defy the law will be dealt with without mercy and fired immediately."

"I know about this now—"

Kuang Yusheng could certainly hear the determination in Li Xuewu's words. Firing those people wouldn't be that simple.

It would require the consent of the labor department and a meeting of worker representatives.

But that was following normal procedures. If Li Xuewu was being ruthless and Li Huai De had given a death order, it would be different; there was another form.

That was the strict enforcement of security discipline management and public security regulations.

What does strict mean?

It doesn't mean executing according to the maximum limits of the system and regulations, but executing beyond those limits.

You say I'm a worker, you can't fire me for fighting.

That's easy to handle: arrest first, then judge. You say I can't fire you?