Chapter 1250: The Second Member

"I, I can recite 'Spring Dawn'—"

Li Shu pinched her fingers and began to recite the poem while hopping about.

"In spring, I sleep, unaware of the dawn,"

"Everywhere I hear the birds singing."

"At night, the sound of wind and rain,"

"Who knows how many flowers have fallen."

"Wow! You recited that so well—"

Yu Li clapped her hands quite graciously and asked with a smile, "How is Li Shu so smart—"

"Hee hee—"

Li Shu hopped over and leaned against her lap, saying with a bit of shyness, "Everyone says I'm very smart—"

"Ah, so everyone says you're smart!"

Yu Li looked up at the few people playing tennis and said with a smile, "Then Auntie is late in praising you."

"Then tell Auntie, besides reciting ancient poems, what other talents do you have?"

"I... I can sing!"

Li Shu cupped her little hands in thought and said, "I can sing 'La la la, la la la, I am a little newspaper peddler—'"

"'Not waiting for dawn to go and sell papers~'"

She didn't even know what song she was singing, just singing along as the words came to her, performing a solo dance while spinning in circles.

"'Walking and shouting, today's news is truly good, seven copper coins to buy two papers.'"

"Sounds good—truly sounds good—"

Zhou Xiaobai came off the court to grab a towel to wipe her sweat; hearing Li Shu's singing, she also clapped.

Li Shu dove into Yu Li's arms, feeling both proud and shy, giggling as she said, "I like to sing."

"Is that so? Our Li Shu is going to be a singer then."

Seeing Li Xuewu and the others coming down, Yu Li held Li Shu as she sat on a chair and stood up to pour some hot tea.

Li Shu was very familiar with her, and the two got along quite harmoniously—one loved to talk, the other loved to listen.

"Let me do it, Sister Yu—"

Zhou Xiaobai put down her towel and reached for the thermos, but Yu Li politely declined.

"It's fine, there are only these few cups left."

She gestured to the towel under the tea table and said, "They are all freshly washed; help me distribute them to the guests."

"I forgot—" Zhou Xiaobai felt embarrassed as she squatted down, took out three towels, and handed them to the people who had come down.

"My, how long has it been since I broke a sweat."

Dou Zhaozu was a rough man who didn't really know how to play something as trendy as tennis, but he looked much younger in spirit.

Even if he couldn't play, he could learn a thing or two just by watching.

He had come with Zhou Miaomiao, but his purpose wasn't exercise; he had been invited by Li Xuewu to discuss business.

It was just that Li Xuewu didn't sit in the office anymore, so whatever needed to be said was cleared up while playing.

"Whew—thanks—"

Zhou Miaomiao took the towel from Zhou Xiaobai's hand, thanked her with a smile, and then wiped the sweat from her face.

"I'd heard of tennis before, but never touched it."

"It really does require technique."

Li Xuewu took the towel Zhou Xiaobai handed him to wipe his neck and said with a smile, "You can't use brute force, or you'll end up with a sore arm."

"How many times can I even play—"

Zhou Miaomiao smiled at him and sat down on a rattan chair.

There was a round table, four chairs, a sunshade overhead, and a wooden wall to the north—it didn't block the rain, but it did block the wind.

Li Xuewu waved his hand, signaling Dou Zhaozu to sit as well.

"Spring is here, the weather is warming up; getting out to exercise more and breaking a sweat is good for the body."

"It's only now, really—"

Dou Zhaozu chuckled as he picked up his teacup and looked at him, saying, "In the past, I never dared to imagine life like this."

"Diligent hands create a beautiful life, after all."

Li Xuewu nodded, watching Li Shu dangling her little legs as she was held down from the chair by Yu Li and ran toward the court.

"You sit, don't mind me."

Seeing Zhou Xiaobai still standing, as if waiting for her to sit, Yu Li didn't mind and said, "I still have to watch the child."

"Giggle—"

Li Shu was finally having a blast, kicking up her heels in the sunlight like a little wild horse.

She had been clamoring to go out and play since morning, wanting to go to Grandma's house.

She had cried when her little brother left last night, and she still remembered it today.

It was just that the family was busy on the weekend, and Li Xuewu also wanted to give his mother a break; he couldn't keep her under watch all the time.

His sister-in-law and the old lady had just left this week, and Gu Ning needed to look over some materials, so he hadn't planned on going back to the courtyard to make a fuss.

However, from Monday to Saturday, as long as he wasn't busy, Li Xuewu would definitely pick up and drop off Li Shu at her grandmother's house.

Leaving both children for Qin Huairu to raise alone was truly unbearable, and she couldn't keep an eye on them all.

So today, the "nanny-dad" was on duty; Li Xuewu brought his eldest daughter to the club to play to her heart's content.

"How old?"

Dou Zhaozu put down his teacup, followed Li Xuewu's loving gaze to examine the little doll, and asked, "Two?"

"Three in nominal age," Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Her birthday is in the fifth lunar month."

"In the blink of an eye—"

Dou Zhaozu nodded, sighing, "When I was tidying up the house for you, how small was she?"

"Isn't that the truth? She was only six months old then," Li Xuewu said with a smile, "In a flash, she's running all over the place."

"Is raising a child very tiring?"

Zhou Miaomiao asked with a curious tone, "Is it true you can't sleep well or eat well?"

"Hahaha—"

Li Xuewu exchanged a look with Dou Zhaozu and chuckled, "I wouldn't dare speak carelessly; I'm afraid if I say too much, it'll affect your mindset."

"I'm already under a lot of pressure now."

Seeing Li Xuewu say this, Zhou Miaomiao sighed and said, "I just feel like I haven't played enough yet."

"It's fine to wait a few years—"

Dou Zhaozu drank his hot tea to regain his strength and joked, "You two have your own careers, no need to rush."

"I'm not in a rush, but the family is."

Zhou Miaomiao stretched her curvaceous figure, swaying her body as she said, "Carrying on the family line, what an important matter."

"I have old-fashioned feudal thoughts."

Dou Zhaozu saw Li Xuewu looking at him, so he smiled bitterly and waved his hand, saying, "I can't answer that kind of question."

"See that? That's a smart man!"

Li Xuewu gestured to Dou Zhaozu and said to Zhou Miaomiao with a smile, "He won't say a single word that might offend anyone."

"What's there to be offended about?"

Zhou Miaomiao stood up, straightened her sportswear, walked out of the sunshade, squatted down to tease Li Shu, and said, "I also want a cute little daughter like you; I like you so much—"

"Hee hee—"

Li Shu was still a bit shy in front of strangers, but not much; only after getting familiar would she show her tough side.

"Has the factory given a definite word yet?"

Dou Zhaozu saw there was no one around, so he brought up the purpose of his visit today.

"How could it be that fast—"

Li Xuewu looked at his daughter surrounded by the three aunts and turned to ask Dou Zhaozu, "Are you in a hurry?"

"No, I'm waiting for your word."

Dou Zhaozu had always had this mindset, "The Dongfeng 31 Construction Cooperative will always follow your command."

"Hahaha—" Li Xuewu chuckled and turned his head, saying, "The foreign businessmen are urging quite tightly."

"No profit, no early rising; I understand."

Dou Zhaozu leaned against the rattan chair and crossed his right leg, imitating Li Xuewu.

Watching the lively women and children, he nodded and said, "The focus is still on how the Red Star Factory intends to proceed."

"The project is still the same project."

He looked at Li Xuewu, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said, "I believe the foreign businessmen don't care about these petty profits right now."

"You call this petty profit?"

Li Xuewu glanced at him sideways and said meaningfully, "It seems you've really made some money."

"In front of you, would I dare mention money?"

Dou Zhaozu shook his head slightly and said, "I'm just afraid you'll look down on me and stop taking me along to play."

"That sounds a bit sour, doesn't it?"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows in amusement and gestured toward the court, saying, "Aren't I taking you out to play today!"

"Hahaha—"

Dou Zhaozu was a very sensible man; having dealt with cadres from the Red Star Factory and the Municipal Construction Bureau for a long time, even a coal ball would turn into a honeycomb coal.

"I've earned more in the past year than I could earn in a lifetime; I still feel dizzy thinking about it, I don't dare to think."

"Then you should be content and happy."

Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, looked at him, and asked, "Didn't you say before it was just to feed the family?"

"Could it be that you, old brother, have an extra family and extra mouths to feed?"

"Hahaha—"

Dou Zhaozu waved his hands in surrender, "I intend to be content and happy, but the people under me are shouting every day that they're still hungry even after eating."

"That just means they aren't full yet."

Li Xuewu took a sip of hot tea and looked toward his daughter, saying, "Fine, an old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand miles."

"You hold me in too high regard—"

Dou Zhaozu smiled bitterly and said, "I'm just a down-and-out person; a firecracker went off over my head, and I hit the jackpot."

"I have to admit that it was your grace that gave me a bite to eat and gave me the opportunity to show off in front of others."

"That kind of talk, you'd better say less of in the future," Li Xuewu put down his teacup, glanced at him, and said, "I don't like to hear it."

"I've heard too many words of gratitude," he said flatly, "You should know me by now; I prefer to see things in action."

"Understood, I understand what you mean."

Dou Zhaozu sighed regretfully, lowered his head, and said, "I know you have good intentions, but I... but I'm one person who is full and not hungry, but my brothers..."

He clasped his palms together and said with a bitter face, "What about my old brothers?"

"Do you think you're Liu Bang?"

Li Xuewu examined him and said, "You've conquered the world and now you want to enfeoff princes and divide territory?"

"Have you ever thought that one day, there will be dissent among your old brothers, and what will you do then?"

"Forget it, I don't want to persuade you anymore." He looked toward the court and said, "The choice is yours to make."

"The choice you need to make now isn't about defining the stay or departure of those old brothers in the company, but deciding which path to take."

Li Xuewu picked up a racket and said flatly, "Whether to continue operating as a family-style enterprise disguised as a collective."

"Or to shrink capital, shift contradictions, and thoroughly enter formalization; you really need to think about it."

"Team Leader Li, I..."

Dou Zhaozu stood up with him, his face full of bitterness and difficulty, and asked, "Is there no perfect solution?"

"There is—"

Seeing Zhao Lao Si bringing people over, Li Xuewu turned back to him and said, "You voluntarily give up your management role."

"After the joint company is established, let others be the bad guy," he nodded with a half-smile, "At that time, you just need to sigh and act helpless."

"Leader, you've come—"

Zhao Lao Si truly didn't know Li Xuewu had arrived; he had just returned from outside and came to curry favor upon hearing the news.

Li Xuewu examined him in amusement and said, "Oh, isn't this Section Chief Zhao? Where have you been busy?"

"Hey—please spare me!"

Zhao Lao Si cupped his hands in a bow and said with a bitter smile, "How would I dare say I'm busy? I should be busiest at the club!"

He shook his head helplessly and said, "Once you enter the world of rivers and lakes, it's as deep as the sea; from now on, how dare I claim to be virtuous."

"Then this world of yours is quite something."

Li Xuewu understood the meaning behind his words and handed the racket in his hand to Yu Li, who had walked over.

"People always say they aren't afraid of the world of rivers and lakes knowing martial arts, but are afraid of the world of rivers and lakes having culture; you're speaking in a literary way now too?"

"Manager Dou, let's play another round."

Seeing that Li Xuewu had something to say to Zhao Lao Si, Yu Li smiled and greeted him, "I can manage a little bit, let's play a round."

"Then I shall ask for your guidance—"

Dou Zhaozu was also a smart man; knowing Yu Li was helping him, he took the opportunity to step down.

Others might not know Li Xuewu's overbearing nature, but how could Yu Li not?

Just now, while they were teasing the children, they had all noticed the abnormality here.

It was just that since it wasn't said in front of them, she didn't dare come over to smooth things over; Dou Zhaozu must have failed to handle something properly.

Although they weren't in the same unit, and there was no connection, Dou Zhaozu had been the one to lead people to tidy up this courtyard in the beginning.

Yu Li considered herself familiar with him; those who come are guests, after all.

No matter what, she couldn't let Dou Zhaozu be left here; if Li Xuewu wanted to show a firm attitude, that was the leader's business.

Zhou Xiaobai and Zhou Miaomiao both had a keen eye; they coaxed Li Shu to watch the fun by the side of the court, still chattering away.

"What happened again?"

After Li Xuewu sat down, he tapped the chair beside him, signaling Zhao Lao Si to sit and talk.

Zhao Lao Si put on a serious expression, sat down beside him, leaned forward, and explained in a low voice, "Zhang Jianguo is going crazy."

Seeing Li Xuewu raise his eyebrows, he understood and explained everything in one go.

"Last night, Zhang Jianguo's woman, the one from the old soldier circle named Tong Yan, was suddenly surrounded."

He twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "The people who surrounded her have been identified; they are from the old soldier circle."

"But for some reason, Tong Yan fell, bled a lot, and was gone by last night."

"Who did it, do you know?"

Li Xuewu frowned slightly and asked, "Did you report it?"

"Her family isn't in the capital; who would care?"

Zhao Lao Si sighed and said, "Zhang Jianguo cares about her, but he just keeps shouting about wanting revenge."

"The circle is in a state of panic now."

He said cautiously, "Someone sent word this morning, wanting to invite me to preside over the situation."

"I, of course, refused—"

Before Li Xuewu could speak, he said with a firm attitude, "I said this two years ago!"

"Ever since Zhou Changli left the capital, there's been no one like me in the world of rivers and lakes; I'm just a gatekeeper."

"Hmm—" Li Xuewu let out a puff of resentment from his nostrils and looked at him, saying, "You still have some sense."

"Thanks to your teachings, I realized it early."

Zhao Lao Si shook his head bitterly and said, "If you don't live a peaceful life, why bother wading into that muddy water."

"I know a little about Tong Yan's situation," Li Xuewu nodded and said, "She was a colleague of my wife's."

"She came to find my wife last night; she was pregnant and planning to have an abortion."

"Oh! So it was..."

Zhao Lao Si's eyes widened, and then he said in surprise, "Isn't this just inviting disaster!"

"Whoever comes to ask you about this, just say that."

Li Xuewu let out a long breath and said, "Report it if you should report it, handle it as it should be handled."

"Involuntary manslaughter is also a serious crime."

"I'm just afraid he's hot-headed and won't listen to this."

Zhao Lao Si sighed gloomily, "The streets haven't been peaceful lately, and now this; it's become a blood feud."

"Daddy—"

Li Shu, under the escort of Zhou Xiaobai, ran back from the side of the court, sweat beads still on her face.

"Leader, then you play on."

Seeing Hu Haiyang, Da Chun's younger brother, waving, Zhao Lao Si greeted him softly, "I'll go over and take a look first, I'll come back later."

"Hmm—"

Li Xuewu just nodded, picked up his daughter, and asked with a smile, "You played ball, why are you sweating?"

"I helped pick up the balls—"

Li Shu cupped her water cup and took a big gulp, then caught her breath and said, "So tired!"

"So tired? Hahaha!"

Zhou Xiaobai squatted by Li Xuewu's leg, teasing Li Shu, "Shall I take you to buy something good to eat?"

"I'm not going—"

Li Shu hugged her father back, looked at Zhou Xiaobai vigilantly, and said, "Mom said, you can't go with strangers."

"Am I a stranger?"

Zhou Xiaobai pouted, "Aren't I Auntie Xiaobai? We were just playing together."

"I know a lot of people—"

Li Shu ignored her, counted on her fingers, and said, "Lots and lots."

"So, what you mean is, just because you know a lot of people doesn't mean they're all close to you, right?"

Zhou Xiaobai felt wronged as she grabbed Li Shu's little foot and said, "Is that it? Why do you have so many tricks up your sleeve?"

"Hehehe—no—"

Li Shu hid in her father's arms, feeling embarrassed at having her thoughts exposed.

She examined Auntie Xiaobai in front of her and said, "You're so pretty—"

"Giving me a sweet date now won't work!"

Zhou Xiaobai crossed her arms and said, feigning anger, "I'm angry, I'm angry at Li Shu."

"Giggle—I don't know—"

Li Shu smiled and avoided her gaze, pulled on her father's arm, and asked, "When are we going to Grandma's house?"

"Isn't it fun here?"

Li Xuewu pointed at Zhou Xiaobai and Zhou Miaomiao, who was walking over, and asked with a smile, "Don't you like playing with the aunts?"

"I want to go see my little brother—"

Li Shu was at that age where everything was fresh for a moment; if she stayed in one place too long, she would get bored.

"Then we'll go see your little brother," Li Xuewu held her and discussed, "We'll go home after eating lunch at Grandma's house."

"If you say it's okay, we'll leave now."

He explained to his daughter, "It's Sunday, Grandma needs to do housework and other things, she doesn't have time to take care of you."

"Alright then—" Li Shu grabbed her little hands and negotiated, "Then can we play for a while after eating, is that okay?"

"It's a deal—"

Li Xuewu extended his finger, signaling his daughter to hook pinkies.

Even the Great Demon King had gentle moments; there was always endless joy and freedom when with Dad.

"Leaving already?"

Seeing Zhou Xiaobai helping to pack things, Yu Li and Dou Zhaozu also came off the court.

She helped Li Shu put on her little cotton-padded jacket and asked, "Stay for lunch before going back; Auntie will make you something good."

"She wants to go to her grandmother's house."

Li Xuewu explained with a smile, "My sister-in-law brought the children to stay for a few days, and the little ones are a bit reluctant to leave."

"You guys play, don't mind me."

He gestured to Zhou Miaomiao and Dou Zhaozu, "It's rare to come out and play; come often in the future, just find Yu Li at the entrance."

"Let me see you off—"

Zhou Miaomiao and Dou Zhaozu had both come for Li Xuewu's sake; now that the main guest was leaving, there was no need for them to stay.

Even if he said they were welcome to come often, Dou Zhaozu knew best what kind of place this was.

Don't look at how some little brats could often get in; even those little brats had extraordinary identities.

To put it bluntly, those playing here were either rich or noble; at the very least, he didn't have the qualifications to hold a membership card yet.

Li Xuewu didn't insist further; he just waved his hand, picked up his daughter, let Yu Li carry the bag, and walked out of the courtyard.

Dou Zhaozu stood in the rest area, sighing with a face full of regret.

Zhou Miaomiao looked back at him, her eyebrows moved, lost in thought.

"I have no other regrets, Zhao Sige."

When Li Xuewu and the others arrived at the parking lot, there was talking at the entrance.

He caught an earful, and it was Zhang Jianguo's voice.

"Xiao Peng and the others are entrusted to you."

"I'll say one more thing—"

Zhao Lao Si emphasized with a helpless tone, "You must report this to the police; that's the proper way, don't do anything reckless."

"Don't worry, Zhao Sige," Zhang Jianguo said, "Every grievance has its source, every debt has its debtor; no matter whose child is in Tong Yan's belly, she was mine, and I must get this life back."

"If I can't even protect my own woman, then I, Zhang Jianguo, don't need to hang around in the Four-Nine City."

He said firmly, "I won't look for anyone else, but those few grandsons must die; they owe me this."

"And—" Just as Zhao Lao Si was about to speak, he pointed to the sky and said, "If God blocks me, I'll kill God; if Buddha blocks me, I'll kill Buddha; I am irreconcilable with them."

All of it finally turned into a sigh.

Zhao Lao Si watched the people at the entrance leave, then turned around; he had already noticed the movement in the parking lot.

Only when the car drove over did he lean toward the car window and report, "Zhang Jianguo brought people here."

"Entrusting his affairs?" Li Xuewu examined him and said, "You've really become a watershed for the world of rivers and lakes."

"I'm also helpless."

Zhao Lao Si shook his head helplessly, "They want to send the little brothers at home onto a boat, fearing they'll be retaliated against."

"The matter is prepared so thoroughly, he's afraid he's going to poke a hole in the sky—"

"Not necessarily, the sky won't fall."

Li Xuewu drooped his eyelids and said, "Alright, I'm going back; call home if anything happens."

He had heard Zhang Jianguo and the others entrusting their affairs clearly, and he could guess their purpose well enough.

But even knowing what they were going to do, Li Xuewu couldn't interfere; after all, they hadn't committed a crime yet, so what was there to interfere with?

Since he couldn't arrest them, and was too lazy to get involved, he could only watch them slide into the abyss.

The gate opened, the car drove out, but he found that the people hadn't left yet; he glanced over and saw Nie Xiaoguang was among them.

Really having no choice, he parked the car at the intersection, rolled down the window, and waved at Nie Xiaoguang.

Nie Xiaoguang naturally saw this car and had long been thinking of avoiding it.

But on the main road, how could he avoid it? Dig into a crack in the ground?

Seeing Li Xuewu stop the car to call him, Nie Xiaoguang didn't think it was anyone else and could only bite the bullet and walk over.

"Hanging around the streets, preparing to play rough?"

Li Xuewu examined him and asked, "Is this who you've befriended, preparing to help you get revenge?"

Before Nie Xiaoguang could answer, he shook his head slightly and said to him while sitting in the car, "Let me be blunt with you: your father's problem isn't a personal feud, it isn't a martial arts grudge."

"If you want revenge, you must do it openly!"

Li Xuewu tapped the car door and emphasized, "What you should do is study hard, learn how to become a person like your father."

"I don't have my father's ability," Nie Xiaoguang looked up and said to him, "And I don't want to become a person like him; he lived too stifled, it's not worth it."

"Brother Li, you don't need to persuade me; I know that with my own strength, I'll never be able to kill him."

"But I have this life, and I'll trade my life for his."

Nie Xiaoguang licked his lips and said, "I know I've disappointed you and put you in a difficult position, but it doesn't matter."

"Once I make a move, you can just shoot me dead."

"Get the hell out of here—"

Li Xuewu raised his hand to point at him, stepped on the gas, and left.

Young, uneducated, and stubborn—stack these three things together, and anyone would be afraid.

Unless you can kill him first, or make his spirit dissipate—for example, by having a wife or children—otherwise, this heart for revenge will never dissipate.

In fact, including Nie Xiaoguang, these people Li Kezhang Jianguo were all country bumpkins who hadn't seen the world; they were products of the era.

Having good family conditions was useless; they didn't understand things, had no vision, and could only see the tip of their noses.

Li Xuewu had brought his child out today and felt they were pitiful, which was why he said those two extra sentences.

Even for Tong Yan, whom he had once resented, he felt quite a bit of emotion when he heard the news of her death.

He had a premonition that these people would get into trouble, but pitiful people also had hateful aspects.

The most hateful thing was that these people had no brains and couldn't understand human speech.

Tong Yan's tragedy lay in her own lack of self-respect, lack of progress, and self-degradation, but there were also deeper reasons.

The fierce collision between the old soldiers and the "Wanzhu" (hooligan) circle triggered by her as a fuse also had deeper thoughts.

On one hand, there was the old soldier circle, which had repeatedly suffered setbacks in certain demands and watched as their noble social status and special treatment were being stripped away by reality step by step.

On the other hand, there was the Wanzhu circle, which had always been at the bottom, had been absolutely suppressed for the past two years, and was full of sorrow and a desire for revenge.

These two circles were like two trains running at full speed, colliding with a roar because of such a matter.

This contradiction, and the tragedy of the contradiction, could not be stopped by human power.

And the true integration of the people in the circles might have to rely on this form of tragedy.

Zhao Lao Si watched the command car leave and knew Zhang Jianguo wasn't far from death.

On Monday, Li Xuewu finished the meeting at the main office building, tidied up at the security building, and then hurried downstairs again.

Just as he reached downstairs, he saw a 212 parked at the entrance.

"I just arrived and you're leaving?"

Wang Xiaoqin got out of the car and greeted him with a smile, "What's this? Knowing I was coming, are you deliberately avoiding me?"

"Why would I avoid you—"

Li Xuewu asked in amusement, "But why did you come? If I had known you were coming, I wouldn't have arranged the itinerary."

"Can't I work if I'm collecting a salary?"

Wang Xiaoqin examined the office area with a smile and said to Li Xuewu, "There's nothing going on in the troupe for now, so I came over to look around."

"Then it's truly a coincidence today—"

Li Xuewu pointed helplessly at the vehicles waiting outside and said, "I have to go into the city to look around; I have to see the brand demonstration stores."

"You go do your work, I have nothing to do."

Wang Xiaoqin waved her hand and emphasized, "I really have nothing to do; I'm just here to familiarize myself with the work."

"You can't go back on your word, can you?"

She raised her eyebrows and said, "I'm taking on this position, and the troupe leader and political commissar have been regretting it for a while."

"What's this? Do they want to go back on it?"

Li Xuewu patted Peng Xiaoli's arm, signaling them to get in the car first, "It's a bit late to say that now, isn't it?"

"The tasks from above have been added heavily."

Wang Xiaoqin pursed her lips and said, "I'm tied up here, so I can't manage the other three tasks."

"I don't care about those—"

Li Xuewu pointed at her and emphasized, "Remind them for me: don't forget our primary duties; helping others with odd jobs while our own wheat harvest fails won't do."

"Thanks for the reminder, we are mentally prepared."

Wang Xiaoqin asked seriously, "I'll wait for you until noon; you have to tell me about the situation in the factory, don't let me be blind."

"I might not be able to come back by noon."

Li Xuewu gestured helplessly toward the main office building and said, "Even if I come back, I won't be able to talk today."

"It's a coincidence; a new leader is coming to the factory today," he blinked his eyes and said, "If you don't mind, you can go talk to Deputy Director Su first."

"I didn't come to find him," Wang Xiaoqin frowned slightly and said, "Besides, aren't you going to introduce me?"

"What if this Deputy Director Su doesn't see me?"

"You're a representative of the Three Supports—"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "If he doesn't cooperate with your work, then deal with him—"

"I'll just tell him that!"

Seeing Li Xuewu say this, Wang Xiaoqin chased after him for two steps and said, "If we start fighting, you have to cover for me."

"Why should I cover for you!"

Li Xuewu jumped into the car and said with a smile, "No matter how complicated this Red Star Factory is, there are only these four office buildings."

"With your ability as Deputy Political Commissar Wang, isn't it easy to take it down?"

"I won't say anymore; everyone is waiting."

He didn't give Wang Xiaoqin a chance to speak again, pointed at his watch, and said, "I'll try my best to come back by noon and treat you to a meal."

"It's a deal; if you don't come back, you're a puppy."

Wang Xiaoqin was truly ruthless; she even used this kind of threat.

No choice, just because of this sentence, Li Xuewu had to come back no matter what.

What if he was called a dog by someone!

In September of last year, Li Xuewu proposed the concept of brand demonstration stores, and they officially opened for operation in November.

Compared to the large and comprehensive stores like supply and marketing cooperatives and large department stores, motorcycle stores seemed a bit alternative in the capital's supply and marketing market.

It wasn't just the single product type; the completeness of service items and quality also became the focus of discussion for supply and marketing units.

The Comet, Red Bull, and other series of motorcycles produced by the Red Star Factory were introduced to major department stores through the operation of the Dongcheng Supply and Marketing Company.

Large supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores all added motorcycle sales zones.

But what made the supply and marketing company frown was that the Red Star Factory also obtained the qualification for single motorcycle sales.

For this reason, the Red Star Factory also established an automobile sales branch, with sixteen stores under its banner, all of which were brand demonstration stores.

These sixteen stores weren't all in the capital; there were eight in the city, two in each district, and one in each county town.

The Red Star Factory invested in sixteen, and the supply and marketing company invested in thirty, but the sales of the thirty supply and marketing company stores combined didn't come close to the sixteen of the Red Star Factory.

This problem was placed directly on the desk of the leaders of the Capital Supply and Marketing General Company, and they had to come up with an answer.

How to answer?

Say the brand demonstration stores have a wide range, with one in every county town?

Say the brand demonstration stores have good service, and the staff are enthusiastic and hospitable?

Say the brand demonstration stores have good after-sales service and are easy to find for free repairs?

If you can't say these things, what else can you say?

Say you can buy a car in a brand demonstration store without an industrial coupon, but the price is different; can you say industrial coupons aren't worth money?

There were quite a few reasons; many people with coupons still went to brand demonstration stores to buy cars, which left them speechless.

It's a difference of dozens of yuan, why bother?

Is it really that important that the brand demonstration store's sales clerks dress neatly and generously, have an atmospheric style, and have concise and polite sales talk?

"Not only must the quality be good, but you must also introduce it well."

During his inspection, Li Xuewu gave instructions to the staff of the demonstration stores and the cadres of the automobile sales branch.

"If the product has quality problems, that's a failure in production; if the product has design flaws, that's a failure in design."

"If the design is excellent and production is qualified, but sales can't move their legs or open their mouths, who will know our cars are good?"

He gestured to the motorcycle at hand and said, "If I've never seen it, and you tell me it's good, will I believe you?"

"At least you have to state its advantages, right?"

"Fuel-efficient!"

"Light body!"

"Cheap—"

"Hahaha—"

As soon as he finished asking, the sales clerks one by one stated the advantages of the Comet motorcycle.

When the last point was stated, everyone laughed.

"I have to criticize you, comrade, for that last point."

Li Xuewu pointed at him with a smile and emphasized, "We aren't building cheap motorcycles—"

"We are building the best motorcycles."

The leader of the sales branch turned green, glared at the sales supervisor, and reminded, "Do a good job in training."

"No need to make a fuss, it is cheap."

Li Xuewu waved his hand with a smile, stopping their attempt to remedy the situation, and said to everyone, "You don't need to mention the advantage of it being cheap; customers who walk into the store with money already know."

"In the current market, there aren't many brands that can compete with us; there are almost none."

He said seriously, "But precisely because of this, I'm worried that you'll be too proud and won't take the customers seriously."

"That's why I told Deputy Director Jing, who is in charge of sales, that you must establish a competitor for yourselves."

"I even pulled strings to find the Capital Supply and Marketing Company and asked them to help sell Comet motorcycles."

Li Xuewu asked everyone with a smile, "What was the result? Everyone knows, right?"

"We know—"

Everyone looked at each other and laughed in unison.

"Do you feel glorious?"

Li Xuewu asked with a smile, "Aren't you proud to have beaten the supply and marketing company that controls the market until they were looking for their teeth on the floor?"

Everyone looked at each other, then looked at the leader of the sales branch, but still didn't dare to answer.

Li Xuewu only gave them time to think; he didn't expect them to answer on the spot.

"You don't dare to say it?"

He said with a smile, "I am very proud; I am proud of your persistence and hard work."

"I am even more grateful to the sales staff working on the front lines; it is you who believed in the company's training techniques and embodied service as value in sales activities."

Li Xuewu pointed at them and emphasized, "This is what makes me most proud; you are very disciplined."

"Because of this iron-clad discipline, you were able to resolutely execute the sales plan formulated by the company and recommend the best products to the customers who needed them most, right?"

Front-line sales staff have the most profound understanding of discipline and norms, because those who didn't serve according to the norms were educated and transferred away, and had no more opportunities for sales positions.

Li Xuewu approved a document before the New Year: a reward of one yuan for selling one motorcycle.

If you sold ten motorcycles in a month, your salary would increase by ten yuan; ability was truly reflected in value.

In this era, what did ten yuan mean?

Pork was seven mao per jin, flour was two mao eight; an extra ten yuan could truly improve a family's quality of life.

Li Xuewu always had rewards and punishments in management; if front-line workers lacked room for advancement, then use bonuses.

If sales cadres didn't lack room, then set goals; whoever could produce better sales results would be the sales pacesetter.

With results and titles, they would be prioritized for promotion and appointment; this was also solid.

In one morning, Li Xuewu visited a store in the city and a store in the county, and he was very satisfied with the results.

The reason why sales couldn't be done and service quality couldn't be improved in the past was because of the workers' enthusiasm.

Now it's a reward of one yuan; if it were a reward of ten yuan, the sales clerks would be running into the streets to pull people in to buy cars.

Li Xuewu, of course, wouldn't do that; if you give too many carrots, eating grass won't be interesting anymore.

That's not management; that's digging your own grave.

The current market isn't lacking; whether it's Comet or Red Bull, the quality and appearance absolutely crush all opponents in the market.

What needs to be done now is to cultivate the market and cultivate the brand.

In order to rush back to the factory to fulfill that lunch invitation with Wang Xiaoqin, Han Jiankun stepped on the gas pedal.

Just right, with ten minutes to twelve, they returned to the office area.

"Not bad, a person of your word—"

Wang Xiaoqin knew he had returned and came out of the office specifically, accompanied by Yu Decai.

"That's right, for you, Political Commissar Wang, I must be a person of my word."

Li Xuewu replied with a smile, nodded at Yu Decai, and asked, "Has the new leader arrived?"

"He has, the welcome meeting was held this morning."