Chapter 1236: A Smooth Sailing

"The food in the cafeteria seems to have less oil."

Gu Cheng frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, raised his head, and looked at Peng Xiaoli opposite him: "Did you feel it?"

"Very normal—"

Peng Xiaoli didn't know where his eyes were drifting; while eating, he responded: "If it's not light now, how can you feel the taste of happiness during the New Year?"

"Damn! I knew it was the cook's doing!"

Gu Cheng slapped the table and was about to get up to reason with the cook, but was pressed down by Peng Xiaoli, who had come back to his senses.

"What are you doing!"

Peng Xiaoli glared at him and reminded him in a low voice: "Do you want to lose the taste of those few days during the New Year too?"

"I damn—" Gu Cheng bit his back molars, glared, and retorted: "Can't I even handle a cook?"

"Who says you can't—"

Peng Xiaoli waved his hand, signaling him to sit down first, and said: "You are now a leader's secretary; one word can prosper the country. Who wouldn't give you, Secretary Gu, this face?"

"But, you'll get beaten."

He pointed at the unconvinced Gu Cheng with the chopsticks in his hand and said: "The ones who will beat you are those who can't eat pork."

"Why!"

Gu Cheng curled his lips and said: "I'm doing it for everyone's good too; look at this dish, there's no oil or meat!"

"Keep your voice down, as if you're the only one with a loud voice."

Peng Xiaoli glanced around and explained to Gu Cheng in a low voice: "If you go to the cafeteria now, they will definitely give you face."

"Today's meal can be made up for you, and tomorrow's dish will have oil and meat, but what about the day after?"

"What day after?"

Gu Cheng frowned: "The day after will be the same; without oil and meat, this cabbage has a muddy smell, is it for pigs?"

"If I call you simple, you're really stupid!"

Peng Xiaoli pointed at him and said: "Do you really think the meat in our factory comes for free, and you can have as much as you want?"

"Eating tomorrow's today, eating the day after's tomorrow—then you'll only be able to drink cold water the day after."

The chopsticks in his hand tapped on the table, emphasizing: "How do you think the food standard for those few days during the New Year was raised?"

"That doesn't mean we should live frugally on normal days just to be extravagant for those few days during the New Year!"

Gu Cheng said dissatisfiedly: "Doesn't that mean tearing down the east wall to patch the west wall!"

"So in the end, eating well during the New Year is all what we saved on normal days..."

"If you want to react, then go."

Peng Xiaoli saw that he couldn't stop him, so he didn't care anymore, waved his hand and said: "Don't recognize me in the future, and I'll just treat it as if I don't have a friend like you."

"Don't mention me when you get beaten, lest you splatter blood on me."

"Who says I'm reacting now!"

Gu Cheng shouted happily, but his butt was very honest; he sat on the chair without moving.

Do you think he's stupid? Having mixed in the agency for three or four years, he wasn't stupid at all.

Don't look at how he shouted; when it came to the real thing, he ran faster than anyone.

These words were fishing, seeing if any idiot would really believe him and stand out to echo him, just to sell them out.

It's just that he shouted for a long time, Peng Xiaoli was suppressing him, and the young people around weren't stupid either; who would take the bait?

"Do you think this is the big cafeteria?"

Peng Xiaoli glanced at the opposite side with eyes looking at an idiot, and signaled to the surroundings, whispering to Gu Cheng: "Of those who can eat here, which one isn't a sharp person."

Hey, that's right; not just anyone can come to the agency's small cafeteria to eat.

Only cadres above the Deputy Section Chief level are qualified to come in; they completely relied on the light of their identity as leader's secretaries.

Otherwise, with Peng Xiaoli's status as a Deputy Director-level clerk, he wouldn't be able to come; just go to the big cafeteria and line up.

Then someone might ask, how could He Yu Shui come to eat?

First, the workshop director of the third industry also has Deputy Section Chief treatment.

Second, her brother is the shift monitor of the cafeteria, and this reason overrides everything; she could come here to eat even as an ordinary employee.

"Damn, it's piled up with coal briquettes!"

Gu Cheng muttered indignantly, looked at Peng Xiaoli opposite him and asked: "Has our factory's welfare dropped so much?"

"It's not that the factory's welfare has dropped."

Peng Xiaoli raised his eyebrows and introduced: "The welfare expenses for this year's New Year haven't dropped; on the contrary, they've increased by a large margin."

"However, there are seventy or eighty thousand more people receiving welfare."

He rolled his eyes and said: "Just tell me, if you distribute welfare to over ten thousand people and distribute it to over ninety thousand people, can it be the same?"

"Sigh—" Gu Cheng sighed, picked at the cabbage in his lunch box with his chopsticks and said: "This life can't be lived; we have to tighten our belts again."

"Don't be so damn ungrateful—"

Peng Xiaoli glared at him and emphasized: "At least you still have cabbage to eat now."

"Fart—" Gu Cheng said indignantly: "If I couldn't even eat cabbage, wouldn't I be eating dirt!"

"Hehe, it's as if you haven't heard of it."

Peng Xiaoli glanced at him and said: "It's only been a few years since the days of eating dirt!"

"You're really floating; you don't know the suffering of the people."

"Get lost—"

Although Gu Cheng was still complaining, the cabbage held by his chopsticks went into his mouth, and he muttered: "Just treat it as recalling bitterness and thinking of sweetness."

"It's just that last year's life was too good."

Peng Xiaoli ate very quickly and very casually, not caring about the change in oil in the dishes.

He shoveled the food and said: "Look at this year, look at next year."

"So the three-year plan was just a plan for this?"

Gu Cheng's eyes widened, and he asked in a low voice: "Did Deputy Director Li say that? Aren't the leaders afraid that the employees will be upset?"

"Afraid, how could they not be afraid," Peng Xiaoli put down his lunch box, looked at him and said: "Don't you see the leaders are so afraid they can't do anything."

He tapped the lunch box with the chopsticks in his hand and said: "The agency's small cafeteria is taking the lead in being plain and simple; who are the employees going to make trouble with?"

"Go to the big cafeteria now and look; there's definitely more oil than ours."

Peng Xiaoli stared at Gu Cheng and said: "Do you believe that the factory newspaper will definitely have some propaganda of this kind during the New Year?"

"Tighten your belt and overcome difficulties together."

He shrugged his shoulders and said: "Bread will be there, milk will also be there, everything will be there."

"These words were said by Vasily, not Deputy Director Li," he specifically emphasized: "Don't misunderstand."

"Damn, Vasily followed Lenin!"

Gu Cheng rambled: "Lenin will bless him with plenty of food and clothing; who the hell blesses me."

"Stop talking nonsense—"

Peng Xiaoli glanced at the door, tapped the table, stood up and said: "Help me wash the lunch box; I have something to do, I'm leaving."

"Why—"

Watching his good friend leave quickly, Gu Cheng was so angry he almost sprayed the steamed bun in his mouth out.

When he saw Li Xue, who had just gone out, he reacted.

"Damn your grandfather, having a woman and no humanity!"

"Did you just finish eating?"

"Are you asking me?"

Li Xue turned her head to look at Peng Xiaoli, who had followed, and asked with a smile, gesturing to the lunch box in her hand: "What do you think?"

"Hehe—hehe—"

Peng Xiaoli knew he had asked a stupid question, and now only dry laughter remained.

(Dry laughter, awkward laughter)

"What about you? Didn't you eat?"

Li Xue saw that he had empty hands, looked him over, and asked: "Aren't you also coming out of the small cafeteria?"

"That guy, Gu Cheng," Peng Xiaoli scratched his head and explained with a smile: "He insisted on helping me wash the lunch box; I said it wasn't necessary."

"Hey—I couldn't stop him!"

"Is he indebted to you?"

Li Xue pursed her lips and said: "Would he be so kind? Why don't I feel that way."

"It's not that, he considers me his teacher and is trying to curry favor."

Peng Xiaoli really didn't treat his brother as a human; now, in order to chat, he was badmouthing Gu Cheng with all his might.

"Yo! You've become a teacher—"

Li Xue asked with a smile: "What have you taught him?"

"Tell me, if it's really good, I'll learn from you too."

"Hey—you don't need to learn—"

Peng Xiaoli waved his hand and explained: "It's just those things about being a secretary; he doesn't understand anything and insisted on taking me as his teacher."

"Look at this mess; I said good friends, good comrades, should help each other, but he insisted on doing all this messy stuff."

Speaking of this, he deliberately made an annoyed and helpless expression and complained: "I treat him as a friend, but he treats me as a mentor; it's really too much—"

"Hahaha—" Li Xue was amused by his words and asked curiously: "Really?"

"Of course it's true!"

Peng Xiaoli nodded seriously and then emphasized: "But he's also quite embarrassed; he won't admit it in front of outsiders, and I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone else."

"Then why are you telling me—"

After laughing, Li Xue glared at him reproachfully and said: "This makes me look like what kind of person!"

"Of course it's fine to tell you."

Peng Xiaoli had a sycophantic look and looked at Li Xue with a meaningful tone: "You're not someone else."

"What do you mean?"

Li Xue's thinking was agile enough, and her reaction was very quick.

She only looked at Peng Xiaoli once and knew his purpose for following her out in a hurry.

"Cough cough—"

Peng Xiaoli was a bit awkward and nervous, but she wasn't.

The two walked into the main office building lobby, neither speaking.

Until there was no one around, she coughed lightly and took the initiative to point out his thoughts.

Li Xue raised her head and looked into his eyes, asking: "Are you showing favor to me, or are you confessing to me?"

"Cough cough—cough cough cough!"

Peng Xiaoli was startled by her suddenness and straightforwardness and almost choked to death on his own saliva.

Striving to calm this sudden blow, he looked at Li Xue nervously and expectantly.

"That... I um... um..."

"You are now a Deputy Director-level clerk."

Li Xue watched him stammer for a long time without a complete sentence, and now she interrupted: "Do you think that with your current self, you are qualified to pursue me?"

Peng Xiaoli's face turned pale; he hadn't reacted yet and didn't understand why Li Xue said this at all.

He just wanted to show favor and hadn't prepared to confess yet.

And, his confession had... well, a little bit of a relationship with being a Deputy Director-level clerk.

"One should still be a bit more sincere."

Li Xue nodded at him and said: "Friends can still joke, but this kind of thing needs to be treated seriously."

After saying this meaningful sentence, she looked at Peng Xiaoli, pursed her lips, turned around, and was about to go upstairs and leave.

Peng Xiaoli grabbed the last chance, put his arm around her, and confessed with courage: "I am a bit inferior; I feel I'm not worthy of you..."

"And then?"

Li Xue let him hold her arm, looked at him like this, and asked a fatal question: "Are you inferior because you're afraid you're not worthy of me, or because you're afraid you're not worthy of my second brother?"

Peng Xiaoli was vague again; he dared to look directly into Li Xue's eyes, but he didn't dare to look directly into his own heart.

At this very moment, he couldn't deceive himself, so how could he deceive Li Xue?

Li Xue's mouth carried a smile; she gently pulled back her arm and said: "You'd better think this question through before coming to me to talk about this."

"That—"

Peng Xiaoli raised his arm, wanting to grab something, but looked at Li Xue, who had already stepped onto the stairs and turned back to look at him.

He stammered, enduring the anxiety in his heart, and asked a question that even he thought only a fool would ask.

"If I think of the answer, can you promise me?"

"What are you thinking—"

Li Xue stood on the stairs; it couldn't be considered looking down, just a step that could be considered equal.

She looked at him with rational and intelligent eyes and said with a smile: "I still want to go to university and won't be dating so early; after all, I'll only be eighteen after the New Year."

Peng Xiaoli felt his heart go cold when he heard her words and blurted out: "You are already eighteen!"

"This is perhaps the gap between us."

Li Xue stood there, restrained the expression on her face, and said seriously: "I said 'only', you said 'already'."

After glancing at Peng Xiaoli, who was full of regret and self-blame, Li Xue nodded and said: "That's it, I'm going back to work."

Peng Xiaoli stood blankly at the stairwell, watching Li Xue leave and muttering: "Only, already, what's the difference?"

"Damn! The difference is huge!"

Good friend's confession failed, emotional master Gu Cheng automatically went online.

He handed the washed lunch box back to the dejected Peng Xiaoli, and after hearing his explanation, his eyes almost rolled back.

"Are you really stupid or pretending to be stupid?"

Gu Cheng pursed his big mouth and babbled: "Don't look at how you became this factory leader's secretary a few days earlier than me; when it comes to dating, you're not as good as me, really—"

"Look, it's only for the sake of being good brothers that I'm reluctantly giving you a few pointers."

These two could also be considered birds of a feather; they didn't treat their good friends as brothers, but fought to be mentors.

He lit a cigarette for himself and sat on the stairs to start the healing emotional class.

"This word 'only', it's quite different from the two words 'already'; it represents a person's unwillingness and lofty ambitions—"

Gu Cheng blew a puff of smoke, narrowed his eyes, and bumped his shoulder against Peng Xiaoli, who was sitting with him.

Watching his good friend like an eggplant beaten by frost, hanging his head and not speaking.

He let out a long breath and said: "Old sayings say that appearance comes from the heart; when people say 'only', it's because they feel the present is the starting point and the future is the future."

"What about you? You take the starting point as the future!"

Speaking to this point, Gu Cheng suddenly raised his tone and said: "What are you thinking? Your brain is empty, there's nothing!"

"People have complete plans for their own lives and clear goals."

He counted on his fingers and said: "First work, then go to university, then come back to work; isn't this just following Deputy Director Li's old path."

"You're following Deputy Director Li; think for yourself, why was he able to meet difficulties head-on in this middle-level cadre adjustment?"

"Isn't it because his ability is in place, his qualifications are in place, and his culture is also in place—"

Gu Cheng tapped his palm and said: "People have ready-made templates to learn from, have a second brother they can rely on, and have a good leader who can guide their future; what about you?"

"Do you really think everything will be fine just by following a good leader?"

His tone carried a bit of reprimand and warning: "You're still far behind, at least in Li Xue's eyes, that's how it is."

"You take what's in front of you too seriously; you don't consider the future at all, and you have no lofty ideals or ambitions."

Gu Cheng said a lot, let out a long breath here, and said: "What people said about you is also right; this is the gap between you and her, and it's also the gap between us and them."

"People's knowledge and ability can be learned and mastered through hard work, but insight and thinking are what we cannot change now; this is caused by the fact that none of us have a good father or a good second brother."

He stood up, patted his butt and said: "If you want to blame someone, go back and blame your father, blame your second brother."

"Get lost—"

Peng Xiaoli sat on the stairs and glared at him.

Listening to Gu Cheng's words seemed to be nonsense, but in his heart, he had already agreed with his good friend's point of view.

That's right, he was Li Xuewu's secretary, praised by everyone, but he had lost his original goal.

Even though he often emphasized and reflected on himself, listening to flattery every day and seeing envious gazes, he inevitably felt complacent.

By now, he had forgotten his purpose in pursuing Li Xue—whether he really liked the other party or wanted to get something for nothing.

Following Li Xuewu for more than a year, from an ordinary clerk to a Deputy Director-level clerk, he actually knew he had gained a lot.

But since he had already gained so much, asking for more was a bit shameless.

And, being promoted to a Deputy Director-level clerk also meant that his time with Li Xuewu had entered a countdown.

Taking this step was to make it easier to send him down to a position below in the future, which could also be considered an arrangement made by the leader for the secretary.

From the predecessor Sha Qizhi, he could feel Li Xuewu's thinking on using people.

Help them onto the horse and send them on their way; they still have to fight for their own future.

In fact, it's the same in the agency; only when you have ability will the leader continue to support you; meeting an A Dou naturally leads to gradual alienation.

If the mud can't be supported on the wall, don't you have this awareness yourself?

Now he not only had to think clearly about his feelings for Li Xue, but also had to think clearly about his feelings for the future.

Just like what Gu Cheng said, he was now just standing on a starting line that was considered not bad.

But he couldn't take the starting line as the finish line; that was self-degradation.

Li Xue's attitude, thinking about it now, couldn't be clearer.

The qualification to pursue her was never her second brother, but a heart that, like her, pursued dreams and goals.

"This is quite exquisite—"

Li Xuewu looked at the sailboat ornament in front of him and nodded in praise.

Then looking at Nakamura Shuji opposite him, he asked with a smile: "A gift for me? Isn't it too valuable?"

"If it weren't for Li Sang's help, there wouldn't be the current Sanhe Stock Company."

Nakamura Shuji bowed slightly very politely and said: "A small gift to express my heart."

"Mr. Nakamura understands your side's management requirements and fully respects your side's disciplinary regulations."

Gucang Ping'er, the director of the Sanhe Stock Company's Beijing office, explained with a deeper bow and a more humble tone: "This sailboat is just a souvenir Mr. Nakamura brought from home."

"Ah—a souvenir—"

Li Xuewu nodded, looked at the ivory-material, gold-inlaid and silver-wrapped sailboat ornament, and shook his head slightly: "I dare not accept it."

"This..." Nakamura Shuji raised his head, looked at him in surprise, and emphasized: "I have no other meaning; this is just a token of my heart."

"Of course, I certainly don't doubt Mr. Nakamura's feelings and friendship; I'm very sure of this."

Li Xuewu emphasized seriously: "You say it's a souvenir, but it's worth a lot, isn't it?"

"Mr. Nakamura is just expressing his heart," at this time, the accompanying Mikami Yuya suggested respectfully: "You have the right to dispose of this souvenir, Mr. Li."

"Oh, Miss Mikami's words..."

Li Xuewu hesitated for a moment and looked at Nakamura Shuji.

Nakamura Shuji nodded and said sincerely: "My way of expressing it was not stable."

"It's too valuable for me personally."

Li Xuewu nodded and said: "Since it's a souvenir emphasized by Mr. Nakamura, I will accept it on behalf of Red Star Factory."

He turned to gesture to Peng Xiaoli beside him and said: "Accept it, and send it to the factory's honor exhibition room for display."

Peng Xiaoli responded and stood up; with the help of Gucang Ping'er and Mikami Yuya, it took a long time to pack up the ship.

It has to be said that the little devils have a lot of tricks when they do things.

You think this sailboat is precious, they say it's a souvenir brought from home, and Li Xuewu will believe it?

Of course, it's not excluded that they have this heart, but as far as Li Xuewu knows, more of this kind of stuff is exported from home.

Let's put it this way, in this era, there's really nothing they dare not sell.

After the polite greetings, Nakamura Shuji also expressed the purpose and significance of coming to the mainland this time.

"The sales of Yazhi appliances have caused widespread and good feedback in the Southeast Asian region."

He said with a sincere tone: "This is all thanks to the strong support and help of Red Star Factory."

"I represent Sanhe Stock Company to express my sincere gratitude to you and Red Star Factory."

"You are too polite—"

Li Xuewu put down the teacup in his hand and said with a smile: "It was originally the original intention of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation."

"Being able to hear such good news, as the production enterprise of Yazhi appliances, I am also very proud as a member of the enterprise."

"Sanhe Stock Company is looking forward to the next cooperation."

Nakamura Shuji bowed slightly and said: "The Southeast Asian market has already been opened; we are looking forward to the Northeast Asian market even more."

He was polite enough, nodding three times in one sentence, and his posture was sufficient.

The meaning in and out of his words was also very clear, that is, to increase quantity, and under the premise of maintaining the current production quality and cost, continue to increase production volume.

Regarding this point, Li Xuewu had already made preparations before he came.

"To tell you the truth, the leaders of Red Star Factory are also looking forward to this year's foreign trade tour group."

Li Xuewu said sincerely: "As the fist product of Red Star Factory, appliances will inevitably be placed on the trade negotiation table."

"Oh, is that so—"

Nakamura Shuji was a bit embarrassed and hesitant; he pressed his hand on the table and said straightforwardly: "We have a more urgent need for the market, and the cooperation also clarified the issue of priority."

"You can rest assured about this; we are an honest enterprise."

Li Xuewu nodded and emphasized: "We will definitely do trade according to the contract terms and will not make you embarrassed."

"Then thank you very much, Li Sang!"

Nakamura Shuji bowed slightly to thank him, then straightened up and said: "Regarding the suggestion of increasing production, I don't know if your side has considered adding production lines."

"We can continue to deepen cooperation."

He pinched his fingers and said sincerely: "At present, the market is very sensitive to the need for Yazhi appliances."

"Our cooperation is also very successful; it is time to carry out a new round of cooperation and deepen the construction expectation of the project."

"Hmm, we have also considered this point."

Li Xuewu nodded and did not avoid the other party, saying straightforwardly: "The exploration and pursuit of high-tech industries is the goal and expectation that Red Star Factory insists on."

"We very much hope that more advanced technologies will come to the mainland and build the industrial pioneer of the era together with Red Star Factory."

His words made Nakamura Shuji's eyebrows jump, and his heart beat like a drum.

The meaning of this is too obvious; Red Star Factory sees that the sales performance of cheap appliances is very good and has raised higher requirements.

Taking black and white television sets as an example, it is impossible to spend huge sums of money to build a second production line.

This is not just the increase in production risk, but the pressure of production cost and profit calculation.

The cooperation mode between Red Star Factory and Sanhe Stock Company is compensation trade.

That is to say, relevant technologies and equipment are taken back in the form of "borrowing" and need to be "repaid" with the profits of the products.

Red Star Factory's electronics industry is in its infancy and is just the time when capital operation is needed; the profit ratio retained is very high, which infinitely lengthens the deadline for "repayment."

Sanhe Stock Company hopes that Red Star Factory will do so, because only in this way can they enjoy this kind of dividend indefinitely.

Suggesting that Red Star Factory add production lines because of good sales, the purpose is very clear: under the pressure of increasing Red Star Factory's "borrowing," it will lengthen the deadline for "repayment" for a longer time and enjoy benefits for longer.

It was because of the arrival of the commercial tour group that Nakamura Shuji came.

I thought that after such a tense situation last year, no foreign businessmen would come to talk about cooperation this year.

Never expected that Red Star Factory's foreign trade would be so attractive, and Sanhe Stock Company's pressure would increase.

Forcing Red Star Factory to add production lines of the same level failed, so they could only give better and more advanced technology.

This is also what Red Star Factory needs and expects, because Li Xuewu has already expressed in his words that he wants to negotiate with other foreign businessmen to seek the possibility of obtaining this goal.

The popularity of the Southeast Asian market gave them enough confidence and also gave Red Star Factory enough confidence.

The cooperation between the two sides has reached a crossroads, and how to choose has become a common problem for both sides.

Fortunately, there are still a few days before the arrival of the commercial tour group, and both sides have time to react.

Nakamura Shuji's visit to Red Star Factory today was only a shallow attempt; sending gifts was just to make things easier to talk about, and negotiation was the key point.

After a little contact, after understanding Li Xuewu's attitude, he took the initiative to retreat.

After leaving Red Star Factory, he asked about the operation of the Beijing office for a period of time.

When he learned that Li Xuewu had advanced further in his work position, but the office had no timely reaction, he was almost furious and wanted to punch Gucang Ping'er on the spot.

Of course, Mikami Yuya in the same car didn't get any better, not even touching Li Xuewu's edge; isn't this a work error?

If there was a relationship in the same bed, would there be such a big obstacle in today's negotiation?

Therefore, Mr. Nakamura's failure was entirely the fault of the four people in the Beijing office.

He seriously criticized Gucang Ping'er for not daring to spend money and Mikami Yuya's three people for not daring to take the initiative.

The only choices in front of Sanhe Stock Company's Beijing office are two: succeed or return to the country, and change to a batch of people who are bold and have big chests!

"Ai hey, there's a New Year atmosphere—"

Three days before New Year's Eve, which was also the last weekend of the lunar year, Li Xuewu came to the club.

The outside of the club was the same as usual, no different.

But once inside the club, it was like another world, a different scene.

Influenced by that article in the People's Daily last year, this year still didn't celebrate the lunar New Year; in fact, the solar New Year wasn't celebrated either.

On this day, workers went to work as usual, and cadres worked as usual.

Last year it happened to be the weekend, and some units took the holiday openly; this year it wouldn't work.

New Year's Eve was Wednesday, and Spring Festival was Thursday.

But in the club, this initiative and regulation didn't count; just like in ordinary people's homes, they secretly celebrated the New Year.

Decorated with lanterns and colored streamers, big red lanterns were hung on the beams and corners of the house, and there were even exquisite ice lanterns placed in the corners.

The snow in the courtyard had long been cleared, and the window glass was wiped clean and bright, wishing to let all the light through.

Even the waiters in the club had changed into bright red festive cotton vests; their faces were reflected to look joyous, red and fiery.

Zhao Lao Si was in a cadre suit, really having the consciousness of a Security Section Chief; he wished he could even put the security badge on his cotton clothes.

Once Li Xuewu got off the car, this sentence would never be dropped on the ground in front of him.

"Director Yu led everyone to tidy up."

He smiled and claimed credit: "A New Year's Eve dinner is also prepared for the day of the New Year, inviting members to spend the New Year together."

"Hmm, the preparation is sufficient."

Li Xuewu nodded with a smile, glanced at him and asked: "Your brother's letter was brought back, right? Is he doing well?"

"Doing well, I don't worry about him at all."

Zhao Lao Si smiled insincerely and responded, gestured toward the management office and said: "You go over and rest first; I'll call Xiao Jianjun for you; he's waiting for you."

"Hmm, no rush—"

Li Xuewu walked forward and instructed: "After sitting on the train for so long, it's fine to rest well before talking."

"He's not willing to rest now."

Zhao Lao Si blinked his eyes and joked: "Comrade Su Yu is taking him to calculate what gifts to give to relatives."

"Oh—"

Li Xuewu heard something, raised his eyebrows, turned his head to look at him and said: "Don't ruin other people's good things!"

He didn't expect that Xiao Jianjun, who was thousands of miles away, could still be in contact with Su Yu, the service supervisor of the club.

Ou Xin, Pei Pei, Tian Tian, Su Yu, and Li Bai came to the club together and were now serving in management positions.

The recruitment of waiters in the club was very regular, specifically selecting girls with similar backgrounds and family situations to them.

There was no problem with their identity, their vision was not short-sighted, they understood the rules, had pursuits, and knew to use the club as a platform to solve the current employment problem.

It could even be said that they didn't care about the money; after all, their families had cadres, so they wouldn't be short of food or clothing.

Being able to learn some skills and use the platform to find a good partner to marry was what their families supported and wished for.

Su Yu's interest in Xiao Jianjun was an unexpected joy, but it was also reasonable.

With the same background and family background, although Xiao Jianjun worked in the border area, it wasn't as if there wouldn't be a day he would return.

Moreover, having worked in the club for a long time, she also knew what Xiao Jianjun was doing and who he was working for.

Earning more, having more opportunities, and in the current unstable environment, such a job was already very rare.

There are plenty of young people outside who are living off their parents; who can they complain to? They shouldn't be aiming too high and learning from Ou Xin and Pei Pei, focusing solely on picking fights with married men.

"The plan is the plan, the implementation is the implementation; they are two different things."

Li Xuewu looked at the report in his hand and said to Yu Li and Shen Guodong: "Tell Biazi, don't worry, take it slow."

"The distribution of goods should still be based on insurance."

He put down the document, looked at them and emphasized: "When shearing wool, don't just focus on one sheep; what if you shear it bald?"

"Spread out, spread out comprehensively," he tapped the table and said: "If you don't spread out the high-demand goods, the fish won't take the bait."

"Cultivating a few big shots to go and fight for triangular trade on the sea is a means, not a goal; don't get them mixed up."

Li Xuewu picked up the teacup and drank a cup of hot tea: "That's it; the Carriage Driver Plan will be executed half a year later."

"That's my opinion too," Shen Guodong echoed: "Only kill the pig after it's fat; being impatient won't get you hot tofu."

Dong dong—

Xiao Jianjun knocked on the door, and after hearing the response from inside, he pushed the door open and walked in.

The moment he saw Li Xuewu, he grinned.

"Hehe, you look a bit more like a human now!"

Li Xuewu put down the teacup, looked him over, and said with a smile: "You're not that young kid who calls out and fights anymore."

"Thanks to Director Li for the cultivation—"

Xiao Jianjun gave a playful salute and said this with a smile.

Li Xuewu threw the cigarette box on the table at him and scolded with a smile: "Cultivate your head, you country bumpkin; how did you get this black face?"

"People say this is the color of the Tianshan Mountains."

Xiao Jianjun caught the cigarette, lit one for himself, and explained with a grin: "Only someone like me can be considered a qualified wanderer of the rivers and lakes."

"Hmm, your way of speaking is quite wandering."

Shen Guodong stood up with a smile, refilled the hot tea for himself and Li Xuewu, while Yu Li was brewing tea for Xiao Jianjun over there.

Xiao Jianjun was polite to Yu Li again, and then reported on the situation in the border area.

"The office is definitely better this year than last year," he smoked a cigarette and said: "The cadres of the pasture are all praising that Director Xu is much better than Director Jin."

"Hmm, Director Jin..."

Li Xuewu nodded, knowing he was talking about that dead ghost Jin Yaohui.

This isn't ambiguous; he really is a dead ghost.

"The snow wasn't very heavy this year, and the price of beef and mutton isn't low, including cotton; you know the reason."

Xiao Jianjun brought a notebook with him and introduced it to Li Xuewu while looking at it.

"However, the products transported by Red Star Factory are still very tough, and the sales situation is very good; it can be said to be very good."

He looked at Li Xuewu and reported: "Station Master Ding found a few more people to help, but they still can't keep up."

"In some areas, we can't even drive; we can only ride horses; at the beginning, we could rub our butts swollen..."

Starting from the Red Star Factory border office, following the trade line and distribution channels, he talked all the way to the local sales situation and the recycling and distribution of "local specialties."

The best-selling products were still production tools, followed by information products like radios.

Starting from last year, Red Star Factory's hardware products were popular in the border area, and the corresponding production tools were sold out.

Pasture areas or pastures certainly had specific channels for obtaining production tools; what Xiao Jianjun reported was the marginal herdsmen outside of that.

In more distant and complex environments and zones, they had to transport these products that couldn't be produced locally, or whose production costs were too high, and sell them.

Then transport the products that couldn't be sold locally but had high profits on the distribution list, and send them to the most suitable places.

Red Star Factory couldn't take the initiative to do such things; there weren't enough people, and there was no flexible working mechanism.

In this era, there were bonuses, but they couldn't be paid and managed as the main labor salary and remuneration.

The means of recycling station distribution well compensated for this last step on the trade line.

Pasture and farm products, like factories, had production indicators and plans, and those beyond the plan could be handled at their discretion.

If even the plan couldn't be completed, what kind of third-industry creation and income generation was there to talk about?

The recycling station couldn't always count on farms and pastures having enough production indicators to complete distribution tasks.

Old sayings say, even if you have a fortune, don't count the ones with fur.

That is to say, livestock and land production have various uncertain factors, and there is really no way to anticipate and estimate them.

The way to solve this problem is very simple: expand the trade surface and gather customers who dare to sell and dare to collect.

As long as you can endure hardship, you can earn this money.

Especially at the foot of the vast Tianshan Mountains, many rules and restrictions were not implemented very perfectly; the situation Xiao Jianjun reported made Shen Guodong and Yu Li blink, with surprised expressions on their faces.

Li Xuewu didn't feel surprised; he didn't feel surprised by any outstanding performance in this era.

A special era creates special accidents; isn't being able to operate the recycling station to the present also an accident?

After listening to the report on the basic situation, Li Xuewu discussed with Yu Li and Shen Guodong and others based on the problems and materials, and gave his handling opinions, asking Xiao Jianjun to take them back.

At the same time, he also specifically cared about the work and life status of Xiao Jianjun, Ding Wanqiu, Da Chun, and Zhao Lao Wu.

He instructed Xiao Jianjun to tell Zhao Lao Wu quietly after returning that there was no need to write letters to report on Ding Wanqiu looking for a woman.