Chapter 1255: You come or I come?

"I didn't understand it."

Xia Zhongquan bit on a cigarette, stood in front of Li Xuewu's office window, and pointed to the big Red Flag downstairs, "What exactly is the charm of this car?"

"You say, it's bought but can't be sat in. If it can be sat in, it's embarrassing to sit in. What is he tossing about?"

"Then you have to ask Director Li."

Li Xuewu raised his head amusedly and glanced at him, joking, "I think this matter is about the same as dating and getting married."

"Oh? How do you say that?"

Xia Zhongquan was quite curious about his point of view, turned around and asked, "Can buying a car and sitting in a car be related to dating and getting married?"

"I'm talking about that meaning."

Li Xuewu emphasized, and then explained, "Buying a car but not being able to sit in it is equivalent to having a partner but no certificate."

"Being able to sit in the car but being embarrassed to sit in it is equivalent to getting a certificate with a partner, but feeling weak and unable to hang the gear lever."

"Hey! You say this—"

Xia Zhongquan smiled and pointed at him, "You are really damaging. The leaders are maintaining your affairs on the opposite side."

"It's the organization's affair, how did it become my affair?"

Li Xuewu glanced at him and corrected, "Personal gains and losses can never be contrary to the interests of the organization."

"I personally hope that the leaders don't argue, don't fight, and don't debate. I can wait a few more years."

"Hmm, you're humble—"

Xia Zhongquan said amusedly, "You might not have noticed that today's office meeting required you to recuse yourself. How many people are discussing your situation in private? Are they going to define you?"

"Define me as conscientious and hardworking," Li Xuewu smiled and packed up the documents on the table, "I don't pursue credit, awards, big red flowers, and certificates."

"Hmm, you're full in this regard. We hungry people can only look at it with envy—"

Xia Zhongquan said strange words, but his eyes were still fixed on the opposite side. He paused and asked with a smile, "Don't you really look forward to the result of the meeting? What if there is some mistake?"

"If I get it, it's my luck; if I lose it, it's my fate."

Li Xuewu continued to look at the documents and said faintly, "What's there to look forward to about this result? At worst, change an office, and the work is still the same."

"That's hard to say—"

Xia Zhongquan walked back, sat on the chair opposite, raised his eyebrows and said, "Maybe next month I have to call you leader."

"You still care about this?"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and glanced at him, "Okay, if I advance one step further, I'll call you leader when we meet, okay!"

"Then I wouldn't dare, hahaha—"

Since Xia Zhongquan became Li Xuewu's relative, this close attitude was obviously different.

It used to be closeness at work, but now it's closeness between relatives, with an essential difference in trust.

"But to be honest, I'm sweating for you now."

He counted with his fingers, "Of the nine votes in the management committee, how many are you sure of?"

"None," Li Xuewu said dryly, "My popularity is exhausted. You know me."

"Full of righteousness, two sleeves of breeze."

Li Xuewu shook his head and sighed, "It's very difficult for me to do 'harmonizing with the dust and light' in this life. It's hard to make people like me."

"..."

I really deserve to die!

Xia Zhongquan wanted to slap himself. You said this wasn't idle, taking the initiative to give him a topic to pretend to be cool!

"Director Li is of course no problem. He values you the most," Xia Zhongquan didn't want to pick up Li Xuewu's topic, and calculated in his mouth, "Deputy Director Dong also appreciates you, this student, very much."

"Deputy Director Gu is still very satisfied with your work in the security department and the management committee office," he thought and added, "Of course, there is also Deputy Director Xue, although he doesn't smile, but..."

"Thank you for your trouble, still thinking for me."

Li Xuewu raised his head and glanced at him, asking, "Did Wang Lu's family prepare a house? So willing."

"Just talking casually—"

Xia Zhongquan looked at Li Xuewu amusedly and asked, "What if you didn't pass this level?"

"Then you can't kill two people, right?"

Li Xuewu looked at him with helplessness and said, "If you are not busy, I am going to be busy."

"I didn't delay your work."

Xia Zhongquan said nonsense, took the phone on Li Xuewu's desk, called Wang Zhi of the Vehicle Engineering Research Institute, and then said, "I hope you jump over the dragon gate."

"Do you think it's possible?"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and asked, "Even I don't want to jump. If someone supports me, can I jump over?"

"Sigh—that's true, this timing is not very good."

Xia Zhongquan nodded understandingly and said, "But Director Li is determined to end this dull knife cutting meat early."

"You have to offend people whether you go up or down."

"So early in the morning, you are here to watch my fun, right?"

Li Xuewu looked at him and asked, "When will the shipping side start construction? How long will the design of the 'Tantu' take to get the draft? What is the progress of the aircraft R&D team? Aircraft manufacturing plant..."

"De-de-de, don't urge, my brain hurts—"

Xia Zhongquan was like a monkey under the spell of the Tang Monk's tightening headband; he waved his hands and said, "Can I stop talking now?"

"Morning, evening, you have to go up sooner or later."

Li Xuewu looked at him very calmly and said, "I still say that, if I get it, it's my luck; if I lose it, it's my fate."

"Nine people, four votes definitely can't be taken, and there is one very vague," he said to Xia Zhongquan, "If Chairman Xiong claims to be ill and doesn't come, it's fifty-fifty. I don't know what's going on."

"Instead of sitting here uneasy, it's better to do your own work steadily."

He let out a long breath, paused, looked out the window, and said, "Walking to this step is already extremely difficult. Going one step further is nothing more than consuming potential. I am the one who suffers."

"You are really steady—"

Xia Zhongquan looked at him and said, "Other units and enterprises have had workers enter the management committee long ago, only our factory."

"With your credit and medals, it would be easy to enter this management committee? Why bother—"

"Yeah, why bother—"

Li Xuewu frowned slightly and said, "Obviously easy, why should I go to such great lengths to drag my own hind legs?"

"Young people like you are really... not letting us old guys live."

Looking at Li Xuewu's calm appearance, Xia Zhongquan shook his head slightly and said, "Okay, good things take time."

Li Xuewu looked at him amusedly and asked, "Do you know I can't succeed this time?"

"Hu Nao, don't you know it too?"

Xia Zhongquan took the phone on Li Xuewu's desk, called Wang Zhi of the Vehicle Engineering Research Institute, and then said, "Whether you want to play 'three visits to the thatched cottage' or 'three pushes and three yields,' be careful."

"Times are different now, be careful not to play off."

"Project now?"

Wang Zhi thought the leader called him to ask about the design progress of the 'Tantu'.

He looked at the two leaders in surprise, already convinced in his heart that this idea was proposed by Section Chief Li.

Li Xuewu pointed to the opposite side with a teacup and said, "I don't know anything, General Manager Xia called you."

"Anyway, there are enough people. Our foundation is thin, so the clumsy bird flies first."

Xia Zhongquan twisted his body, put his arm on the back of the chair, looked at Wang Zhi and asked, "Why, you don't have confidence?"

"This..."

Wang Zhi hesitated, glanced at the two leaders, and joked, "What confidence or not, just build a car behind closed doors—"

"Hmm, I don't care how you build the car."

Xia Zhongquan was very easy-going. It doesn't matter how you say it, as long as you explain it clearly.

He twisted his chin and pointed to the window, asking, "Did you see that big Red Flag when you came up?"

"Hmm? Saw it, what's wrong?" Wang Zhi asked in surprise, "You wouldn't want us to imitate this thing, would you!"

"Hey! How do you talk!"

Xia Zhongquan stared, reminding, "That's Director Li's treasure. In your mouth, it's become a thing—"

"Forget it, you were the one who said it first."

Wang Zhi also knew the relationship between General Manager Xia and Section Chief Li. At this moment, he let go and smiled, leaning towards the front of the desk.

"Tell me the truth, what exactly do you want? Without an accurate goal, we can build a four-unlike!"

"You have to have that ability!"

Xia Zhongquan's eyes drooped, looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "You say, is there any hope of doing it?"

"You ask me?" Li Xuewu hummed, "Six-cylinder engine, fuel consumption is twenty-something—"

He moved the teacup in front of him, shook his head slightly and said, "Don't ask me. If you want to be this big fool, just mess around."

"Isn't this asking for your advice!"

Xia Zhongquan pointed at his desk and said, "You are the most recognized genius designer in our design department."

"If you say it's okay, then this matter must be okay. If you say it's not okay, tell us where it's not okay."

He raised his eyebrows and said, "We work hard, get the problems and difficulties down, isn't that okay?"

"High-end sedan field, this is not a problem of difficulties."

Li Xuewu frowned and reminded, "There is no market in the country, and the international market doesn't recognize it. Are you building a pile of scrap copper and iron?"

"This field is not like a jeep, where you find a master to knock and beat, and you can learn two hands."

"I know this, not asking for your advice."

Xia Zhongquan also became serious, "Hongxing Hongxing Lingyang Generation I has achieved certain success, and Generation II can immediately continue this offensive situation."

"By then, under the Hongxing brand, motorcycles, sedans, buses will be launched together, even if the performance is a bit worse..."

"Hey—" Li Xuewu pointed at him, emphasizing seriously: "Don't joke about quality!"

"It's fast to set up this brand," he knocked on the table and reminded, "It's also fast to fall!"

"It's not worth it to engage in high-end sedans."

Li Xuewu looked at Wang Zhi and asked, "You can consider the three-box version of the Gemini sedan."

"This... still want to take the cheap route?"

Wang Zhi hesitated and said, "Although our automobile industry hasn't signed a compensation agreement to replace advanced production technology."

"But I understand the actual situation," he reminded Li Xuewu, "You have to think about it, these countries and regions have a stubborn impression of cheap cars. If you sell them high-priced cars again, they won't recognize them."

"You have the same idea as General Manager Xia, right?"

Li Xuewu blinked, looked at the two amusedly, and said, "You think there's no one in Factory 17? The problems they can't solve, you can solve?"

"Why?"

He leaned back in his chair, looked at the two and said, "Because we cooperated with Huaqing to build a vehicle engineering research institute?"

"Because the quality of our researchers is generally high?"

"Because we can get some advanced technology?"

"Stop making trouble, Factory 17 has everything we have—" Li Xuewu spread his hands and said, "Factory 17 disassembles and assembles advanced foreign sedans purchased every year."

"The result?"

He picked up his teacup and said bluntly, "I'll make the decision now. You go and disassemble Director Li's Volga and Red Flag, see what you can learn, and summarize what ideas."

"This..."

Wang Zhi also hesitated. He wasn't afraid that Li Xuewu was bullshitting and didn't dare to give them those two cars to disassemble and learn.

Rather, he had some thoughts and reflections on Li Xuewu's words just now.

Xia Zhongquan also frowned and asked, "Then we can only go to the dark on one road?"

"Engage in cheap sedans and motorcycles, engage in jeeps after market refinement?"

"Don't worry, there must be a process, right?"

Li Xuewu said calmly, "You are afraid that the domestic market will change within three to five years, right?"

"In the situation where the new automobile production model is gradually broken by us, will new forces appear in the high-end sedan manufacturing field?"

"I'll make a bet with you!"

He patted the table and guaranteed, "Within the next ten years, there may be better jeeps in the country!"

"But there will definitely not be better high-end sedans than the Red Flag. Do you dare to make this bet with me?"

"Bet what?" Xia Zhongquan raised his eyebrows, "What does Wang Zhi have that you care about? Forget it, forget it—"

"You are really an old lady wearing gauze—old and cunning!"

Wang Zhi heard it was wrong, looked at Xia Zhongquan amusedly, and said, "So you called me here to block the gun!"

Hongxing Mill's automobile industry has developed very fast. The regulator of this speed is in Li Xuewu's hands.

Without funds, there is no landing of projects. The pen in Old Li's hand is in Li Xuewu's hand.

Li Xuewu is completely not optimistic about high-end sedans.

Even in this era, including all types of cars with the word "high-end," he doesn't like them.

On one hand, there is no such strength, on the other hand, there is no market. The market that the Red Flag's production capacity can satisfy, do you think it can make money if it is put on the assembly line?

This special thing will lose all its pants!

Hongxing Mill's economy seems very excellent, but the means of high-speed development, high profit, high-level talent accumulation, etc., are backed by high debt ratios. High-rise buildings collapse as soon as they collapse.

Everyone can fight a smooth battle, but Hongxing Mill alone cannot fight a losing battle now. It must win all the way to cross this river that others need to touch the stones to cross.

Why does Hongxing Mill develop fast, accurately, and quickly?

The reason is very strange, and it feels sad to say it.

Under the management system of the management committee, Li Huai's pen can influence the development direction of Hongxing Mill.

Don't look at the office meetings every week now. He doesn't understand the relevant business, and he also has to consider the opinions and emotions of other leaders.

If you really encounter personnel problems, look at whether he considers them or not.

He doesn't trust anyone in the economy, only Li Xuewu's interests are tied to him.

So Li Xuewu knows how to cross the river without touching the stones. Li Huai can be considered to have carried him across the river with Hongxing Mill.

I don't know how many people are thinking about them behind their backs, but as long as they tilt a little, thousands of hands will push them down.

Therefore, whether it is a new project or a new industry, Hongxing Mill will not throw all its money into it even if it has money.

On one hand, it is to increase future investment, engage in infrastructure construction, engage in welfare benefits, and cultivate technical workers and advanced talents.

On the other hand, it is to introduce technology, dig deep into potential, and cooperate with capital or enterprises like credit cooperatives to develop together.

While reducing operating risks, it also pulled more powerful partners onto this broken ship.

The more powerful people on this ship, the more friends Hongxing Mill has, and the risk is infinitely reduced.

Even if the ship capsizes, there are people to help flip it over.

Look at those entrepreneurs who collapsed later. Which one didn't forget their roots while engaging, not knowing they were already fat.

Automobiles, ships, airplanes are all heavy industrial industries and are key projects to consume the production capacity overflow of Hongxing Mill.

It is also an important industrial support that promotes Hongxing Mill's successful promotion and moving towards groupization.

Without strong heavy industrial production capacity, in this era, you can only be considered a "third grandson," not even a "back son."

In the era of heavy industrial development, you can only speak with hard power.

High-end sedans, high-end ships, high-end airplanes, don't engage in them at all. Just engage in things that have a market in this era.

Motorcycles, jeeps, fishing boats...

So what if it's cheap?

As long as you can make money, even collecting scrap can make you a millionaire.

After emphasizing the steps of automobile industry development to the two again, Li Xuewu went downstairs to prepare for lunch.

These two goods ground him for a whole morning, one played the main attack, one played the feint, and they were still pretending to be stupid.

"Yo, what did you go do?"

Li Xuewu held the lunch box in his hand and walked to the opposite side, but saw Zhou Yao getting off the Hongxing Lingyang jeep with two security officers.

Zhou Yao's expression was quite natural, but the two security officers seemed to have a serious illness, and their faces were unbearable to look at.

"Nothing, organized everyone to go out and participate in an activity."

Zhou Yao turned her head and looked at the two, waved her hand casually, and said with a smile, "We came back just in time..."

"Ugh—"

As soon as her words were finished, an officer couldn't help it, ran to the corner of the wall to dry heave.

Li Xuewu was also somewhat surprised, thinking in his heart, is her speaking so disgusting?

"What activity did you participate in?"

"Heh, it's still inspired by you!"

Zhou Yao glanced at the subordinate who lost her face, curled her lips, and glared at the other one with some dissatisfaction.

The other one also wanted to vomit, but was scared to hold it back at this moment.

"It's not that who—" She turned her head to look at Li Xuewu and explained with a smile, "It happened to be caught up, the opportunity is rare."

"I just thought about organizing everyone to participate in Zhang Shicheng's execution ceremony, send him off, and let everyone see the world."

"Ugh—"

The other one finally couldn't help it, ran to the side of the brother in trouble, and scrambled to vomit in the trash can.

Li Xuewu looked back at the two, and then asked amusedly, "The effect of your seeing the world is not very ideal."

He raised his eyebrows and said, "If you were really willing, you would have come to me to apply earlier. Wouldn't a bowl of tofu brain each in the morning be better?"

"Ugh—"

It was indeed their own leader, who understood their point.

Zhou Yao also couldn't help laughing. She originally wanted to pretend in front of the leader, but didn't expect the leader to be worse and more damaging.

"I heard in the morning that the leaders were discussing your progress problem. Is there such a thing?"

She asked with a strange smile, "What's the result?"

"Not so good—"

Li Xuewu didn't understand what she meant, looked at her and said, "There are quite a few questioning voices."

"Before it even reached the voting link, Director Li took the initiative to shelve it."

There was too much discussion about him today. Even if he didn't say it, Zhou Yao would know.

He naturally also knew that Zhou Yao was really concerned about him, so he said it when asked.

There are no secrets in the agency. The meeting just ended, and the news spread. Who agreed and who didn't agree, he didn't know.

Actually, you can guess it with your heels. He just didn't care and didn't bother to count it.

Old Li originally intended to talk to several deputy directors, but he had been a bit busy recently.

And the problem about him was urgent to solve, so he could only force it and put it directly on the meeting to talk.

Actually, Li Xuewu knew he had deeper considerations. This was testing his influence on the management committee.

The more temporary the resolution, the more it can test the real situation.

Old Li wanted to use him, but he was also deeply afraid of him, so he had to treat him cautiously, so he tested him again and again.

After testing him, he tested his influence, wishing that everyone would oppose it. This way, he would feel more at ease using him.

Of course, those who saw this point naturally wouldn't express their position in this round, but Dong Wenxue came back this time for him.

So he had to express his position, so he even called Li Xuewu privately and warned him not to worry.

In the same office area, Dong Wenxue didn't even see him. At the critical moment, he had to think of everything.

The work of those who opposed must be done by Old Li.

Not only can he ensure that Li Xuewu gets this support, but he can also show favor to Li Xuewu, indicating his hard work.

No matter if Li Xuewu saw it or not, he had to accept this favor.

Because even if others opposed, Old Li had the right to push him up. Secretary-General and Deputy Director are two different things.

Although they are all team members, not being in charge of business is equal to having no authority.

He just completed the adjustment from deputy section level to section level. Even if he got the position of Secretary-General, he wouldn't advance anymore.

Although his section chief appointment spanned 14 levels, he was still at the critical node of level 13. Old Li had long helped him think of this step, counting as a small "pulling the seedlings to help them grow."

"It doesn't matter, good things take time!"

Zhou Yao had a good mentality, smiled and persuaded him, "I arranged the activity today to help you cheer."

She glanced at the office building opposite and whispered, "Today is a good day. Killing two to sacrifice the flag, next time it will definitely succeed—"

"You can really mess things up—"

Li Xuewu looked at her amusedly and angrily, and asked,

Although they were all members of the leadership team, having no authority over operations meant having no real power.

He had just completed the adjustment from deputy division level to division level; even if he obtained the position of Secretary-General, he would not progress any further.

Even though his tenure as a division chief spanned the 14th grade, he was still at the critical node of the 13th grade.

Grade 13 could be a division chief or a deputy bureau chief; Old Li had long since planned this step for him, which could be considered a slight case of forcing the shoots to grow.

"It doesn't matter, good things take time!"

Zhou Yao actually had a very good attitude; she smiled and persuaded him, "The activity I arranged today is also to cheer you on."

She glanced at the office building across the way and whispered, "Today is a truly auspicious day. If we kill two to sacrifice the flag, we will surely succeed next time—"

"You really know how to stir up trouble—"

Li Xuewu looked at her mischievous behavior with a mix of amusement and annoyance and asked, "I even reminded Wang Lu to call you for the social activity the week before last. How did it go? Did you find anyone you liked?"

"So what she said was true—"

Zhou Yao was the one who was annoyed; she pouted, "That girl pestered me, insisting that I go sit at her place."

"She even said she was acting on your orders. So it really was you who instigated her."

"How do you figure that?"

Li Xuewu smiled as he looked at her and asked, "Men should marry when they grow up, and women should marry when they grow up. Don't you want to find a partner?"

"I do want to find one, but there has to be a suitable one!"

Zhou Yao said helplessly, "Have some mercy, please stop urging me. My mom and dad urge me enough as it is."

"Don't be ungrateful for good intentions!"

Li Xuewu pointed at her and reminded her, "It's already hard to find a partner in our line of work, and you are also a key person in charge of your department."

"Once work gets busy, do you even have time to socialize?"

He sized the young woman up and said, "It's not that I'm criticizing you, but the masculine energy on you is getting stronger and stronger."

"If things continue to develop like this, what man could handle you? They'd see you and their legs would tremble, let alone dating you."

"See me and their legs tremble."

Zhou Yao laughed, "Then they must have a guilty conscience!"

"Why would they be afraid of me for no reason? I'm not a man-eating tiger, and certainly not a murderous ghost."

"With that kind of thinking of yours—"

Li Xuewu nodded helplessly and said, "I'm truly afraid that on the day you end up a spinster, your parents will come to settle the score with me."

"I have a responsibility for the soldiers I've trained—"

"Stop mocking me—"

Zhou Yao hummed, "Everyone says you have a good eye for people. Today, I'm begging you; find me someone decent."

"I'm not picky. Their character must be good, and it's best if they are a bit more manly; effeminate types won't do."

She thought for a moment and added, "They also have to be able to talk to me; they can't be like a mute once they get home."

"With conditions like those, you're hardly 'not picky'."

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Alright, I have a suitable candidate in mind. I'll ask around for you later."

"Really? You're not just fooling me, are you?"

Zhou Yao looked at him in surprise and said, "I just said that casually, and you've already found someone suitable in your mind?"

"If I hadn't said anything, would you have just let this suitable person pass by?"

"So you're going to blame me for it now?"

Li Xuewu was so annoyed he laughed; he stared at her and said, "Comrade Zhou Yao, that's enough. You've gotten bold, trying to extort me like this."

"I didn't mean to!"

Zhou Yao acted coquettishly and said, "How could I not trust you? Who are you? If you say someone is suitable, their conditions must be even more reliable and higher than what I asked for, right?"

"Go on, get back to your work—"

Li Xuewu waved his hand and scolded with a smile, "You're using the investigative tactics you learned on me, aren't you!"

"Don't forget, those amateur skills of yours were taught to you by me. Don't try to flatter me; it won't work."

"Oh, leader—"

Having had her intentions exposed, Zhou Yao wasn't the least bit embarrassed; she pouted, "I'm not like what you said at all—"

"A word of advice," Li Xuewu walked a few steps, turned back, and urged her, "Stop acting coquettish; there's no gentleness in it at all!"

"Leader—"

"Sigh—"

On Monday afternoon, Li Huai De called Li Xuewu over and said with great difficulty, "This is beyond my expectations."

"I also said we should wait a few more years."

Li Xuewu picked up the thermos to refill his teacup and said in a very indifferent tone, "The current environment is still too complex."

"Wait a few more years?" Li Huai De picked up his teacup, looked at him, and said, "If we wait a few more years, the opportunity will be gone—"

He took a sip of hot tea, then put down the cup and said, "I'm not in a rush to eat this hot tofu either."

"The agenda is to discuss appointing you as the Director of the Management Committee Office; there is no problem with that."

Li Huai De crossed his hands over his stomach and said, "The reason is also very sufficient: to complete the transition and communication of organizational management relations as soon as possible, right?"

"It's just to solicit everyone's opinions and recommend you to serve as Secretary-General in your capacity as Director of the Management Committee Office."

He scratched his head and said, "You are already in the meeting, and the Secretary-General is part of the group's organizational structure."

"Letting you take half a step forward first to occupy the position is a good thing for the Red Star Factory."

"I can certainly understand that."

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "After all, I just adjusted my position; advancing further would be a bit reckless."

"The others are fine—"

Li Huai De hung his head and said, "Comrade Jinsong has no objections, and Comrade Weide has also expressed his support..."

Su Weide's support was actually opposition; the more he supported, the more Li Huai De trusted Li Xuewu and understood the other party's intentions.

If you can't handle Li Xuewu, just move this big mountain away.

Once he leaves Li Xuewu's security team, wouldn't it become his own private plot to display his ambitions and talents?

He had no mood to pay attention to Su Weide's opinions.

"The focus is on Comrade Yunong here."

Li Huai De looked at Li Xuewu helplessly and said, "She raised every issue that could be raised, which put me in a very passive position. I can't explain it too clearly, right?"

When Li Xuewu heard him mention Jing Yunong, he also cooperated by cooling his face, putting on an appearance of not wanting to talk about it.

"We still have to do some work—"

Li Huai De was also very regretful now; if he had known it would come to this, he wouldn't have let the two of them become so deadlocked.

He heard that last Saturday, when they went to the International Hotel to meet with the Japanese business representatives, the two of them fell out again halfway back.

Jing Yunong even left Li Xuewu halfway; the driver saw them arguing on the side of the road.

"Even if it's the appointment of Secretary-General, even if it doesn't require everyone's support, we should try to avoid having dissenting voices."

Li Huai De looked at him and said, "Try your best. You should be more proactive on your side too; you're a man, right?"

"As for me, I will also find a time to talk to her as soon as possible and do some work on her, alright?"

He sighed and said, "The reason we didn't vote on the appointment of the Management Committee Office Director was to buy time."

"This way there's a chance to talk it over later. Don't have any burdens in your heart; human effort can achieve anything—"

"Thank you, Director Li. I will certainly do as you say."

Li Xuewu nodded with a smile, "I'll go find Deputy Director Jing later and ask her to criticize my work more."

"Sigh, that's the way—"

Li Huai De smiled with satisfaction and said, "Be magnanimous; this isn't a matter of right or wrong, right?"

"Don't wait until later; go over now. Talk as soon as possible, talk well, and once it's settled, we'll discuss it at the meeting next week."

"Then that's how it will be, leader."

Li Xuewu stood up, sighed helplessly, and said, "I'll head over first."

"Go, go—"

Li Huai De sat behind his desk, watching Li Xuewu leave, feeling completely troubled.

This whole affair was more troublesome than his own advancement.

Have you ever seen someone begging others to advance?

Not only do I have to beg Li Xuewu to advance, but I also have to beg others to help him advance. I've really encountered a living ancestor.

"Second brother, no, Team Leader Li, why are you here?"

Li Xue was holding documents and about to go out when she saw her second brother walking to the door with a gloomy face.

She had heard the news from the morning meeting and blocked the door nervously.

"Go do your work," Li Xuewu said with some impatience, "I'm going to talk to Deputy Director Jing about something."

"Talk about what? The leader is busy—"

Li Xue reached out to push her second brother, but the leader's voice came from behind.

"Let him in."

"Uh, alright, leader."

Li Xue had no choice; she turned sideways and stepped aside.

Li Xuewu stared at his sister and walked inside, but heard her whisper a reminder: "Don't you dare lay a hand on her—"

It turned out she was afraid he was coming here to pick a fight because of Deputy Director Jing's opinion this morning. This sister of his was truly... a silly sister.

"None of your business."

He glared at her and pulled the door shut behind him.

The door wasn't closed tightly, leaving a gap a palm wide.

With a man and a woman alone, it wouldn't do to let people misunderstand.

Of course, Li Xue had something to say about this; who would misunderstand the two of them in the room? Deputy Director Jing really did lay a hand on him last Saturday.

She had seen with her own eyes Deputy Director Jing raise her hand and slap her second brother's face. She didn't know how hard it was, but it definitely wasn't a caress.

Now Deputy Director Jing was fuming, and her second brother was suppressing his anger. She didn't dare get close enough to listen, and she didn't dare leave just like that.

So she didn't know what the two of them were doing in the room. Li Xue stood at the door, listening intently, worried that they might throw a cup as a signal.

"Director Li doesn't trust you."

Jing Yunong's tone was indeed not very good; she looked at Li Xuewu sitting opposite her and said, "You played this move wrong, didn't you?"

"Only by walking through it will I know if it's wrong."

Li Xuewu twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "I don't crave anyone's trust. Director Li just said that human effort can achieve anything, right?"

"You are pulling chestnuts from the fire."

Jing Yunong crossed her arms and asked, "Are you so sure that the outside help you found will definitely support you?"

"How should I put it? It's like eating a meal."

Li Xuewu frowned and said, "This is my first time cooking, and I've laid out a table full of good dishes."

"I've put my heart into making these dishes, but whether they taste good or not is not something I can decide."

He sat up straight and shook his head slightly, "Whether it suits their taste is up to the guest."

"If he's full and starts cursing the cook, there's nothing I can do. I can't just flip the table and beat him up."

"Are you in such a hurry to get to the table just to be a cook?"

Jing Yunong rested her arms on the table and looked at him, "If you can look but can't eat, don't end up being played by someone else and end up on the dining table yourself."

"That won't happen; I have at least that much awareness."

Li Xuewu picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said with a confident smile, "I'm working so hard to be this cook precisely because I don't want others to feed me shit."

When Jing Yunong saw him touch her cup, she reached out to stop him, but she was too late.

She could only watch helplessly as he drank water from her cup, deliberately trying to annoy her.

"You never learn from your mistakes."

She curled her lip and said, "You forget the pain once the wound has healed."

"It does hurt quite a bit—"

Li Xuewu touched his face, smiled indifferently, put down the teacup, and said, "I'd dare do it again."

"You—"

Jing Yunong blushed with anger, glared at him, and warned, "If you dare to lay a hand on me on the street again, I'll use real force!"

"Understood, you can't touch a tiger's backside."

Li Xuewu stood up, nodded, and said, "Nothing else, right? If you're not angry, I'll be going."

As he said this, he gestured to the teacup at his side and asked, "Are you going to do it yourself, or should I help you?"

"No—is this really necessary?"

Jing Yunong really glared this time; she stood up and emphasized, "This is a cup I bought myself. Last time..."

"I'll buy you a new one, alright?"

Li Xuewu grabbed the teacup and smashed it hard on the ground, splashing tea all over himself.

"I'll go buy one after work and send it to your house tomorrow night."

Saying this, the moment the door was pushed open, he changed his expression and walked out with a gloomy face.

As for Jing Yunong, she was stunned by his sudden action, and then, remembering what he had just said, she thought... send it to my house?

To Li Xue, who had just burst through the door, this expression looked like the shock that follows a fit of rage; it didn't look fake at all.

"Se-second brother..."

She panicked, looking at the tea residue on her second brother's trousers, and then at the shattered debris all over the office.

"Second brother, are you alright?"

Li Xue chased after him for two steps, then felt it wasn't appropriate; after all, they were in a government office, and there were many people in the hallway.

When she returned to the office, she saw the leader sitting behind the desk, clutching her forehead, the atmosphere depressingly heavy.

How did they even talk—

Li Xue was about to cry from anxiety; she felt both heartache and worry.

One was a leader who took special care of her and a teacher who taught her how to conduct herself.

The other was her own brother; how did the two of them end up like this?

She used to suspect that the two of them were acting for her benefit, perhaps with some other conspiracy in mind.

But seeing it with her own eyes time and time again, she had to believe it; she was truly caught in the middle.

I mean...

Even married couples rarely resort to physical violence and throwing things, right?

How is this supposed to look to people in the office?

(End of chapter)