Chapter 1346: Teaching You to Behave

Liu Liu Guoyou hadn't even reacted until he raised his wine glass; he still couldn't grasp how his former little brother had become a high-ranking leader.

"Don't just focus on drinking yourself, offer a toast."

Seeing him dazed and out of sorts, Qin Qin Huairu poked him under the table, offering a gentle reminder.

She could understand Liu Liu Guoyou's current state of mind; anyone suddenly encountering such a situation would be stunned.

In truth, it wasn't just Liu Liu Guoyou; which of the neighbors sitting here drinking today wasn't reflecting on Li Li Xuewu's past few years with deep emotion?

"I've heard of 'rocket-speed' cadres, but I've never seen one." Liu Liu Guoyou looked at her, "And I never expected it to happen right beside me. Suddenly, I feel a bit..."

He shook his head, took a deep breath, and carried his wine glass toward Li Li Xuewu's table.

Qin Qin Huairu stood where she was, a hundred flavors in her heart, not knowing how to put them into words.

Some things cannot be said aloud; they can only be swallowed down with the strong liquor.

Wedding wine doesn't intoxicate the person, but the person intoxicates themselves.

This year, the courtyard lacked a bizarre character like the Third Master who would crash a wedding feast, so the atmosphere was much more harmonious.

Perhaps understanding Qin Qin Huairu's intentions, not a single person from her workplace came, but the gift ledger was filled with a long list of names.

Not many neighbors drank too much, but the protagonists of the day, Liu Liu Guoyou and Qin Qin Huairu, both ended up drunk.

Bang Geng stood at the doorway, looking at his mother's drunken state with great annoyance, feeling stifled and uncomfortable inside.

Perhaps it was because of long-held suppression, or perhaps because wine loosens the tongue, but Qin Qin Huairu said a lot today.

Even while her reason remained, her words were filled with complaints about her bitter life.

Jia Jia Zhangshi could tell that some things were said for her to hear, and some were said for the neighbors to hear.

She was now of little consequence, and in the future, she would have to rely on her daughter-in-law's favor to live; what could she say?

The neighbors all urged Qin Qin Huairu to look forward, relax, and embrace her new life.

In less than half a month, the neighbors at this banquet would be parting ways.

Although they would still be in the same residential area, living on different floors or in different buildings, the opportunities to meet would decrease, and the intimacy of the courtyard would be gone.

It was foreseeable that this banquet might be the last time they would all gather like this.

With emotions mixed into the strong liquor pouring into her sorrowful heart, Qin Qin Huairu's tears began to fall as she spoke.

All her hard work over these many years, enduring the pain of losing her husband while trying to support a broken family.

With an elder above who didn't understand her, and children below who didn't understand the world, she felt both aggrieved and stifled.

Starting today, she finally had someone to whom she could pour out her grievances; it could be considered a bitter end giving way to sweetness.

The east room was still lively, with everyone either comforting Qin Qin Huairu or congratulating her on her hard-won happiness.

Li Li Xuewu finished the wine in his glass and left the rambling Sha Zhu, walking toward the door.

The people at the table thought he was going to the restroom, so they didn't say anything as they watched him leave, raising their glasses to continue drinking.

At the doorway, Bang Geng saw him come out and looked at him with a complex gaze, saying nothing.

Li Li Xuewu didn't speak either, just gave a faint smile, reached out to ruffle his hair, and draped an arm around his shoulder as they walked out.

Bang Geng seemed to have found a backbone; he turned around following his gesture, but couldn't help looking back at his mother, who was still lost in emotion.

At thirteen, "Big-Faced Cat" had grown quite a bit in the last half-year; it was the time for a boy to hit his growth spurt.

During this period, a boy's voice would change, and his personality would also undergo certain shifts.

If they encountered situations in life they couldn't understand or handle well, it was inevitable that extreme thoughts would arise.

Li Li Xuewu, at over 1.8 meters tall, draped his arm around Bang Geng's shoulder; the boy's head reached Li Li Xuewu's chest.

"I see you didn't eat much, aren't you hungry?"

"Mm—"

Bang Geng's reply was brief, his head slightly lowered, as if he were just going through the motions, or perhaps telling the truth.

Today, Sha Zhu had put in his full effort, and Qin Qin Huairu was uncharacteristically generous and open-handed.

The wine was good, and the food was good.

If it had been anyone else's banquet, Bang Geng would certainly have eaten until he was stuffed, but today—

"I'm not in the mood."

"Heh—"

Li Li Xuewu nodded in understanding, patting his shoulder as they walked, saying: "You've grown up; you're a little man now."

"I don't want to grow up." Bang Geng muttered; he hadn't thought that the price of growing up would be losing his mother.

In the past, when his mother scolded or hit him, he wished he didn't have a mother, but only today did he realize what losing her meant to him.

A boy's thinking is always narrow and immature.

He didn't acknowledge that stepfather, even though his grandmother taught him to maintain a good relationship with the man so he could gain his approval and inherit his property and assets.

But he just didn't want to; he didn't want to share his mother with others because of the things his grandmother said.

He didn't even want to acknowledge that stepfather, let alone those two sisters who looked at him with strange eyes.

It wasn't as if he didn't have hands; why did he have to "recognize a thief as his father" and wait to inherit someone else's property?

He couldn't understand what his grandmother said, but he was too lazy to argue, and he certainly wouldn't explain to those sisters that he had no intention of snatching their father or their family property.

Thump—

He kicked a broken brick on the path; the atmosphere in the courtyard was eerie and strange, even the bricks that would never appear here had broken fragments.

Everyone says growing up is good, that when you grow up you can do whatever you like; it's a lie, it's all a lie.

The only person Bang Geng could still trust was Wu Shu, who had his arm around his shoulder.

"Time is a heartless bastard; even if you are unwilling, it will push you forward."

Li Li Xuewu led him toward the back courtyard, saying slowly: "You can either choose to face reality and try to live every remaining day well, or choose to escape reality and find a place where no one knows you to wait for death."

"Is there really such a place?"

Bang Geng looked up naively, asking: "A place where no one knows me, does it really exist?"

"Heh—" Li Li Xuewu lowered his head to look at him, earnestly admonishing: "When you find one, you must tell me, because I've been looking for decades and haven't found such a good place."

"Wu Shu, you've had too much to drink; how old are you anyway?"

Bang Geng corrected the error in his words, lowering his head to say: "I really want to find a place like that to hide; I don't want to see anyone."

"Sigh—" Li Li Xuewu sighed, saying faintly: "You want to hide so that your mother will be anxious and upset because you ran away from home, right?"

"She will be heartbroken, she will regret it, regret not caring about your feelings and finding you a stepfather, right?"

These words were like a needle hitting the blood, leaving Bang Geng speechless, his head hanging even lower.

"I can't teach you how to become strong right now, but I hope you can mature as quickly as possible."

Li Li Xuewu squeezed his shoulder, saying: "You must learn to lift your head and walk forward bravely; this applies to facing any difficulty or challenge."

"Life will always give you a sweet date, and then mercilessly turn around and slap you across the face."

He smiled and said: "You cannot lose yourself just because you ate a sweet date, and you certainly cannot give up on yourself just because you were slapped."

"I'm telling you about your mother's difficulties and frustrations now, but you won't understand, so I won't say it."

Li Li Xuewu looked down at him and said: "But I want to say that your mother is a good person, a good daughter-in-law, and a good mother; you won't deny that, right?"

Bang Geng was silent for a while, then shook his head, acknowledging what he said; his mother was a good mother.

"That's enough, isn't it?"

Li Li Xuewu comforted him: "You will grow up sooner or later; when you no longer need your mother, have you thought about how lonely she will be then?"

"I still can't understand." Bang Geng said sullenly: "Our family's life was already very good, why did she have to find someone to marry?"

"Of course you can't understand." Li Li Xuewu nodded, saying: "Because you are not your mother; you can't understand her current mood and needs, just as your mother is not you and can't understand your thoughts."

"Between family members, someone always needs to take the initiative; you wouldn't want to let your mother bow her head to you, would you?"

He stopped in his tracks, looked into Bang Geng's eyes, and said: "You only need to grow up quickly, mature, and understand her; that is what a man should do."

"Then what about you?" Bang Geng looked up and asked earnestly: "If you were me, Wu Shu, what would you do? Like you said, consider it maturely."

"If I were you, I would bless her."

Li Li Xuewu pressed his hand on the boy's shoulder, saying: "Because I know I cannot accompany her for much longer; she needs a shoulder to lean on."

"Of course, if I were you, I would have achieved something earlier to give her more confidence."

He raised his eyebrows and said: "Just like those chicks you raised last year; whether selling eggs or live chickens, if you have an income, you will be very confident."

"If you have the ability to create a good life for yourself with your own hands, and tell your mother personally that she doesn't need to worry about other people's houses or scheme for other people's property, then she will surely be very gratified, very proud, and very honored."

"Mm—" Bang Geng seemed to understand, saying hesitantly: "I can't control her thoughts and decisions, but I can do something to show my attitude."

"You have indeed grown up."

Li Li Xuewu hadn't expected Bang Geng to say such things; perhaps only after experiencing hardship can one mature and grow quickly.

"If only you were my stepfather."

Bang Geng, whose mood had improved, became childish again, muttering unwillingly: "I don't care about your house or property; I just like listening to you talk."

"Just because you like listening to me talk doesn't mean you have to ask me to be your stepfather." Li Li Xuewu ruffled his hair amusedly, "Wouldn't it be better if we were friends?"

"Heh heh—" Bang Geng laughed and said: "Wu Shu, I don't want to go to school anymore; it's useless."

His eyes brightened as he said earnestly: "I know you have connections on the mountain, you have ways; you can help me, I want to go up the mountain, raise chickens, raise a lot of chickens."

"What have you been saying to my son?"

Monday morning, just as Li Li Xuewu had finished the leadership meeting, Qin Qin Huairu arrived at his office.

Before she even sat down, she began to complain and blame Li Li Xuewu, wanting to settle accounts with him.

"What's wrong? I didn't say anything."

Li Li Xuewu waved his hand, signaling Wang Lu, who had come to peek, not to worry about this and to go back to her own work.

Wang Lu naturally recognized Director Qin from the guesthouse, greeted her with a smile, and left.

"You didn't say anything? He told me he wants to drop out of school."

Qin Qin Huairu pouted, sat down in the chair opposite, looked into Li Li Xuewu's eyes, and sighed: "He told me this morning that school is useless, that he wants to earn money and live on his own."

"Isn't that quite good—"

Li Li Xuewu smiled, didn't sit down, and stood to the side holding his teacup.

"Knowing from a young age that he needs to live independently and earn money to support the family, isn't that much better than other children his age?"

"Do you think I'm stupid and easy to fool?"

Qin Qin Huairu rolled her eyes and chided: "He doesn't listen to anyone now, only you."

"It must be something you told him that made him say those fake adult things to me."

"Who says? Which eye did you see me telling Bang Geng these things?" Li Li Xuewu laughed: "I drank your wedding wine, and you're still clinging to me like this."

"You can't run away; I have clairvoyance."

Qin Qin Huairu's eyes darted as she glanced at him: "Tell me, what exactly did you say to Bang Geng?"

"I don't believe it, can you use clairvoyance while drunk?" Li Li Xuewu didn't rush to answer her question, but instead teased her.

Actually, he didn't need Qin Qin Huairu to tell him; he knew it must have been Jia Jia Zhangshi who saw it.

That day he was walking Bang Geng back, and there was no one else in the middle courtyard; it must have been Jia Jia Zhangshi, worried about her eldest grandson, who followed them out, hid somewhere, and heard and saw it.

Just as Qin Qin Huairu said, Bang Geng was currently in his rebellious phase, listening to no one in the family, not even Sha Zhu or the First Master; he only trusted Li Li Xuewu's words.

But Li Li Xuewu didn't come back often, and at most he came to the courtyard morning and night to pick up Li Ning; where would he have the time to guide him?

Before the banquet ended yesterday, Li Li Xuewu left with Bang Geng; Qin Qin Huairu could guess what was said.

She came in ostensibly to settle accounts with Li Li Xuewu, but in reality, she was here to thank him.

Thanking him for his understanding, for his care for Bang Geng, and even more for the sense of security he gave Bang Geng.

The Qin Qin Huairu of the past was muddled, busy every day worrying about the family having enough to eat.

Now that she was a cadre, her perspective on problems was naturally different; she could feel Li Li Xuewu's goodwill and knew even better how good he was to the child.

So when Li Li Xuewu heard she was here to find fault, he wasn't in the least bit anxious, and he understood her intentions.

"It's really—" Qin Qin Huairu squeezed her hands helplessly, "The child has grown up, and his thoughts have become complex; I'm too much of a failure as a mother, I'll never understand his thoughts."

"I want him to be well, I try hard to give him a learning environment, but he doesn't understand me."

"Then you should go and understand him."

Li Li Xuewu said naturally: "Between mother and son, someone always needs to take the initiative."

"The two-way approach you expect also requires you to show an intention to draw closer."

He put down his teacup, walked behind his desk, and sat down: "I'm not a teacher at the United School, but you know his grades in your heart."

"There's no problem with learning some basic knowledge at the United School, but how much he can learn is a question mark."

Li Li Xuewu spread his hands and asked: "Do you think that with Bang Geng's grades, he can pass the technical worker exam for our group? Are you willing to let him be transferred to another factory?"

"That's assuming he even has the opportunity, and that other factories even want him."

"Then is raising chickens good?"

Qin Qin Huairu retorted: "You know what the situation is now; if he really runs into the mountains to raise chickens, not to mention how much suffering he'll endure, where is the future in that?"

"Qin Qin Huairu, neither you nor I are gods; we can't predict what paths will be available in the future."

Li Li Xuewu looked at her earnestly and emphasized: "But Bang Geng knows what path he wants to take right now."

"You can never control his thoughts, and you certainly can't manage him for a lifetime."

"I know, I know." Qin Qin Huairu said helplessly: "This life is his own, but I just want him to have a good life and a slightly easier future."

"You can't replace Bang Geng, so you can't understand his thoughts." Li Li Xuewu leaned back in his chair and said: "Of course I don't want him to drop out of school, but it looks like he has lost the thought and confidence to continue learning."

"Then what should we do?" Qin Qin Huairu panicked a little and asked: "He can't really go raise chickens, can he?"

"What's wrong with raising chickens? Every trade has its masters."

Li Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile: "He told me he wanted to go up the mountain, but I didn't agree."

"I told him that raising chickens also requires knowledge; at the very least, he has to wait until he learns to cook for himself and can survive independently before talking about it, otherwise he'll just starve to death on the mountain."

"You really support him—"

Hearing him say this, Qin Qin Huairu felt there was still room for compromise, and her heart settled.

"If it were really your own son, I wouldn't believe you'd be willing to let him go up the mountain to raise chickens."

"Hey, that's not necessarily true." Li Li Xuewu pointed at her with a smile and said: "Yesterday Bang Geng even told me he wanted me to be his stepfather."

"Pfft—nonsense—" Qin Qin Huairu chided: "Bang Geng wouldn't say that."

"Don't believe me? Go ask your mother-in-law."

Li Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows with a smile, put down his teacup, and said: "If he were really my own son, and he was so determined to do something, I would definitely support him."

"Qin Qin Huairu, I'll say it again, I'm not a school teacher, and you're not a parenting expert."

He reminded her earnestly: "Bang Geng is at a sensitive and rebellious age; don't always think about arranging everything for him; he's not a child who will just accept everything."

"If you really listen to him, he'll be a chicken keeper on the mountain."

Qin Qin Huairu took fifty yuan out of her pocket, placed it on the table, and said: "Did you give him this?"

Seeing that Li Li Xuewu didn't deny it, she felt a deep sense of powerlessness alongside her gratitude.

"He's still too young; I'm not at ease with him doing anything, just like you said, at least wait until he learns to take care of himself."

She pushed the money forward and said: "Don't give him money; even if he wants to go up the mountain, as his mother, no matter how unwilling I am, I won't watch him suffer."

"Whatever should be given to him, this family is all his."

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself, and don't put too much burden on the child."

Li Li Xuewu didn't care about the fifty yuan and said casually: "Perhaps he doesn't need the family you give him; he needs your attention and care."

"And you say you're not a teacher."

Qin Qin Huairu understood and teased: "I really have to come to you for advice from time to time."

Slam—

The office door was slammed shut; Zhou Zechuan took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, flicked one out, and lit it.

He tossed the rest along with the matches onto the desk.

His hands were trembling slightly, but he puffed hard on the cigarette, then exhaled a cloud of smoke in one breath.

It was as if he could dissipate the anger and resentment in his heart this way.

But he knew this was impossible; the anger and resentment hadn't dissipated, but a chill had taken hold.

He slumped into his office chair, suppressing his anger, and turned to look out the window.

Jumping from the third floor, would it hurt a lot?

Of course, he wouldn't jump, but he already had the thought.

As the investigation progressed, Zhou Zechuan really fell into a dilemma because the investigation team had obtained Zhou Zhou Xiaobai's identity and background.

Who was Zhou Lang Zhennan?

Su Weide, screw your grandfather!

He was watching helplessly as a giant black pot was about to smash onto his head.

Those guys on the investigation team weren't good things either; until now, they were all just dragging their feet.

Investigating what?

They were just trying to shirk responsibility.

Now it was fine; they had actually found something, and they handed all the information over, waiting for him to make a decision.

Zhou Zechuan kicked the table leg, ignoring the pain in his foot, and cursed silently.

Compared to the pain in his foot, his head hurt even more now.

Li Li Xuewu wouldn't accept his surrender, and Su Weide was forcing him to continue the investigation.

Both sides had suddenly locked horns for no reason, and he was the one caught in the middle.

Zhou Zechuan had never imagined that one day he would become the core of the turmoil within the Red Star Steel Group.

There was nothing glorious about this.

If he had enough weight and influence, perhaps he could have played both sides.

Now, whether it was Li Li Xuewu or Su Weide, either could crush him with one foot; there was no possibility of compromise.

Investigate, and die; don't investigate, and die anyway.

Knock knock—

There was a knock at the door; the office assistant, Xiao Liu, opened half the door and reported hesitantly: "Director, there is a situation that needs to be reported to you."

"Come in."

Zhou Zechuan was quite capable in his work; despite how his subordinates treated him, he maintained the proper demeanor and didn't lose his temper.

Xiao Liu could feel the suppression in the leader's tone; he carefully walked to the side of the desk, leaned forward slightly, and reported softly: "Deputy Secretary-General Bu's meaning is that Li Baihui's problem must continue to be investigated."

"Mm, when did he say that?"

Zhou Zechuan had thoughts in his heart, but his expression remained calm as he asked while looking at the documents in his hand.

He was in the middle of being angry and couldn't focus on the documents; the one in his hand was just something he had picked up.

Some leaders had a habit: whenever someone came to report work, unless it was someone of special status, they would pick up a document to pretend to be busy, or pick up a pen to write something.

If he didn't agree with the work being reported and couldn't explicitly refuse, he would remain silent for a long time.

Smart people would know what the leader meant.

"Today at the office work meeting." Xiao Liu explained softly: "The Secretary-General wasn't there, and the Deputy Secretary-General presided over the meeting; during that time, some recent work was mentioned, and Li Baihui's case was brought up."

"Mm, I know." Zhou Zechuan nodded, responding to Xiao Liu's report.

This conversation was over; Xiao Liu very sensibly refilled the leader's teacup with hot water and exited lightly.

Once there was no movement in the office, the document in Zhou Zechuan's hand remained on the same page for a long time.

He thought for a long while, until the hot tea in his cup turned cold, before he finally let go.

There was only this one path left to take.

Zhou Zhou Xiaobai's problem could no longer be investigated; if he kept digging, Li Li Huai De and Li Li Xuewu wouldn't be the ones to fall first—he would be finished.

His downfall wouldn't be a loss for Su Weide; after all, he wasn't the supervising leader anymore, and he was just a cannon fodder.

He truly regretted it; he regretted not maintaining a good relationship with Gu Gu Weijie, leaving himself without a retreat when trouble arose.

If he hadn't been so willful back then, he wouldn't be so passive today.

Whether it was Li Li Xuewu or Su Weide, as long as he found Gu Gu Weijie, the other party wouldn't just stand by and watch.

It was his own fault for being blinded by greed and cutting off his own retreat; he deserved what was happening to him today.

With no retreat, and Zhou Zhou Xiaobai's problem still needing to be investigated, what was he to do?

Didn't you hear what Xiao Liu just said? Deputy Secretary-General Bu Bu Qingfang had already drawn the line for him.

Change direction, investigate Li Baihui's problem.

In other words, from the moment he made that choice, he had no other options for any problem.

If a chess piece has no awareness and thinks it can influence the player, and tries to dictate strategy to the player, isn't that just seeking death?

"Xiao Liu—"

He didn't continue to put on airs; he stood up, walked to the door, opened it, and called out to Xiao Liu.

Seeing the other party come over from the main office, he stood at the office door and gave a soft instruction: "Tell Section Chief Zhang to keep a close watch on Li Baihui's case."

"Even if he's a ghost, he must confess everything to me; not a single person on this line can escape, this case must be investigated until the truth is revealed."

"Yes! I'll go notify him right away."

Xiao Liu was quick-witted; from the leader's attitude, he could tell that Director Zhou was no longer conflicted and knew what to do next.

Seeing that the leader had no other instructions, he trotted toward the first section.

See that? That's how a section staff member should behave.

You can walk slowly when the leader isn't looking, but when the leader is watching from behind, you can't run fast, as that would appear to lack composure; a trot is most suitable—it shows a tense attitude while ensuring sufficient flexibility.

The order was given at noon, and the investigation feedback came in the afternoon; that's how fast it was.

The investigation team in the first section stopped dragging their feet and all regained their spirit.

When Zhou Zechuan decided to do this, the entire Discipline Inspection Department suddenly found that their work had no resistance.

The Security Section and Confidentiality Section of the Security Department stopped pestering them and even provided some materials and help obtained from their own investigations.

Now Zhou Zechuan knew that he was just a chess piece, and he had to move along the route designated by someone else.

He was just a small pawn that had to cross the river to have any room to maneuver; otherwise, he could only stay at home and wait for death.

Investigate, then; investigating Li Baihui was better than investigating Zhou Zhou Xiaobai.

If he investigated Zhou Zhou Xiaobai, would he investigate Director Li's wife? Would he investigate those little brats?

How many heads did he have?

From the preliminary feedback materials, it seemed Li Baihui had no other problems, only that he had taken care of some issues at the freight station.

Then these problems must have issues; a single Li Baihui couldn't have obtained enough benefits on his own.

So, they had to carefully investigate the problems that had appeared at the freight station and what exactly their relationship was with the Red Star Factory.

If there was no relationship, why would Li Baihui risk so much to make a fuss, and then commit suicide once things went wrong?

Therefore, after obtaining these materials, Zhou Zechuan decided that he had to investigate this matter personally.

To find out the truth about the freight station, he had to see someone first.

Someone who had drawn the line for him.

The Deputy Secretary-General's office was very small, not at all like the treatment a leader of a major department should have.

The office area was too small; the group headquarters and the steel factory headquarters were working in the same place, and the pressure was quite high.

Currently, many branch headquarters were still moving to their respective stations, withdrawing from the office space.

But as it stood, it still looked very crowded.

"Is the Deputy Secretary-General in?"

Zhou Zechuan's voice appeared at the door, seemingly asking someone.

After a while, he knocked on the door and walked in.

"Deputy Secretary-General."

"Oh, Comrade Zechuan, come in."

Bu Bu Qingfang had heard his voice, but she acted very surprised and stood up from behind her desk to welcome him.

Zhou Zechuan was also very polite; he stepped forward a few paces, not needing the other party to come forward too much.

The Secretary-General had a secretary, but the Deputy Secretary-General hadn't reached the level of having a secretary assigned; however, there was an office clerk to provide service.

That clerk had other work and couldn't stay in Bu Bu Qingfang's office all the time.

So look at the question Zhou Zechuan asked; it wasn't actually for Bu Bu Qingfang's clerk.

Why did he ask that question?

Very simple: to give Bu Bu Qingfang, who was in the office, a heads-up that he had arrived.

Which clerk he asked wasn't important; what was important was testing whether Bu Bu Qingfang was willing to see him.

Bu Bu Qingfang had taken the initiative to send a signal at the office meeting, and his current action was a form of feedback.

At least from the current perspective, the Discipline Inspection Department's actions had received the other party's affirmation; she had stood up to welcome him and even let him sit on the sofa, which showed that some problems could be discussed—though not with the Secretary-General.

Zhou Zechuan wore a smile, but the deep sorrow in his heart could not be hidden.

In the past, he could still negotiate terms with Li Li Xuewu; now, he could only wait for terms to be given to him.

This change had taken less than a month.

He still remembered the few words Li Li Xuewu said while patting his arm in front of the Qinyuanchun Restaurant.

Thinking about it today, wasn't that a warning?

Zhou Zechuan's hindsight came too late; just look at the people Su Weide laid out in the beginning—why was it that Deputy Director Cheng didn't take the bait?

He had been hammered into submission and had learned his lesson; regarding Big Li and Little Li, as long as they were involved, Deputy Director Cheng wouldn't take the bait, no matter how Su Weide tried to coax him.

Looking at it now, he was the only big fool.

"This morning's work meeting was very timely."

Zhou Zechuan didn't beat around the bush either; he turned his body to face Bu Bu Qingfang and said: "After the meeting spirit was conveyed, the first section had a direction for their work."

"As you can see, once the direction is found, the work makes progress."

He patted the document in his hand and reported earnestly: "Regarding Li Baihui's problem, we have already grasped certain clues."

"Comrade Zechuan, you are absolutely right."

Bu Bu Qingfang didn't look at the document in his hand because she wasn't a Discipline Inspection cadre, let alone a supervising cadre for Discipline Inspection; she wasn't qualified to see those documents.

If Li Li Xuewu were here, Zhou Zechuan would definitely have handed it over and asked the other party to review it.

Li Li Xuewu had once served as the Deputy Secretary in charge of Discipline Inspection, and many Discipline Inspection cadres knew him.

Bu Bu Qingfang had always been in the propaganda system and hadn't had much contact with Discipline Inspection work, so she didn't try to show off.

She rested her hands on the sofa armrests and said to Zhou Zechuan: "Ever since the Secretary-General established the system of holding weekly office coordination meetings, the coordination between our various departments and units has become convenient."

"Once this work finds a good direction and the communication channels are opened, isn't it easy to do?"

"You are right." Zhou Zechuan nodded and said: "I thought of this too, which is why I came to you for advice."

"Comrade Zechuan, I want to criticize you a little; please don't mind."

Bu Bu Qingfang pressed her hand down lightly and said while looking at him: "Sometimes, you cadres who come from above are just too polite and too reserved."

"I welcome your criticism and guidance."

Zhou Zechuan also smiled and said: "You are the big sister, the senior, and someone who has walked up step by step from the grassroots after being tempered; I really hope to share your experience, but I've never had the opportunity to learn from you."

"Look, aren't you being polite again?"

Bu Bu Qingfang smiled and pointed at him, saying: "The Secretary-General has a saying that I fully agree with."

She raised her finger and pointed at the door, saying: "Once you enter the door of the Red Star Factory, you are a person of the Red Star Factory."

"You, Comrade Zechuan, are now the Discipline Inspection Director of the Red Star Factory, so we are comrades, we are our own people."

Bu Bu Qingfang feigned dissatisfaction and chided: "What can't you say or talk about with your own people? What are you being reserved and polite for?"

"Yes, I did indeed overlook this point."

Zhou Zechuan nodded readily and self-criticized: "The little bad habits from working in the ministry were brought down and caused water-and-soil incompatibility, becoming a big problem."

Bu Bu Qingfang had already spoken so bluntly, three sentences without leaving the Secretary-General; this was exactly how a department manager and a deputy should behave.

Zhou Zechuan was very convinced; now he didn't have a shred of arrogance and listened earnestly to the other party's criticism.

"It's still a mindset problem." Bu Bu Qingfang patted his arm lightly and said: "You are airborne troops, but the group leadership, including the Secretary-General, has never treated you as outsiders."

"Look at how well Deputy Director Gao has adapted."

She said in a caring tone: "This is the manifestation of level and ability."

"Director Li even mentioned this point during the leadership meeting yesterday afternoon; cadre appointment must be considered comprehensively. You, Comrade Zechuan, are a top-tier soldier in the Discipline Inspection system; you can't fall behind while working at the Red Star Factory!"

"Mm, my mindset has been problematic recently."

Zhou Zechuan nodded and responded: "Isn't that why I thought I could come to you, this knowing big sister, for advice?"

He smiled and patted the document in his hand, saying: "I have decided to lead the team personally to investigate Li Baihui's case, and now I need your help, big sister."

"Between comrades, work matters should naturally be mutually helpful."

Bu Bu Qingfang turned serious and said: "Li Baihui's case is something both Director Li and the Secretary-General are very concerned about and focused on."

"You might not know that when Li Baihui's family came to the factory to make a scene, it was the Secretary-General who emphasized basing things on facts." She raised her hand and pressed it on Zhou Zechuan's arm, emphasizing softly: "It was because of the Secretary-General's tough stance that we dared to handle it this way."

"Yes, I heard." Zhou Zechuan nodded and said: "Thanks to the support and help from you and the Secretary-General, otherwise we would have been passive."

"And the Security Department's work." Bu Bu Qingfang emphasized: "You have a revolutionary friendship of fighting side-by-side; you can't be distant or polite at a time like this."

She pointed at Zhou Zechuan and said: "If you have difficulties, you must speak up in time; if I can help, I certainly won't let you down; if I can't help, isn't there still the Secretary-General?"

"You know what kind of person he is; he can't tolerate sand in his eyes, and he creates opportunities for cadres who want to do things; in personnel work, he even dares to slam the table with Director Li."

"Has anyone ever been wronged by the work he arranged? Right?"

"Yes, I can feel the Secretary-General's concern and care." Zhou Zechuan said earnestly: "Especially for cadres like us who came from outside..."

"Don't talk about coming from outside or being from the factory; we are all comrades, all treated equally."

Bu Bu Qingfang interrupted him and said: "The Secretary-General has long given instructions to open the green light for your work and to protect cadres who dare to do things and are willing to do things."

Without waiting for Zhou Zechuan to speak, she took the initiative and said: "You are going to the freight station to carry out investigation work, right?"

Seeing the other party nod, Bu Bu Qingfang stood up, walked to the desk to look for something, brought back a letter, and handed it to Zhou Zechuan, who had stood up, saying: "See? The Secretary-General coordinated with the station to get this, just to make your work convenient."

"Thank you so much, you and the Secretary-General."

Zhou Zechuan smiled and said: "With this letter, it will be much more convenient for us to go to the freight station."

The Secretary-General had long given instructions, and this letter had long been prepared; why didn't he know about this before?

Because he hadn't taken the initiative to report before.

"After the freight station incident, the station took the initiative to coordinate and have us appoint the main person in charge."

Bu Bu Qingfang said: "The leadership decided to appoint Yi Yi Honglei, the former person in charge of the radio station, to take on this burden."

"You can go directly to find him when you go to the freight station; I will tell him to actively cooperate with your work."

"Thank you, big sister; I was just waiting for these words from you."

Zhou Zechuan held Bu Bu Qingfang's hand and said gratefully: "I haven't had any contact with Comrade Yi Yi Honglei, and I was really afraid of hitting a nail when I led the team over."

"You won't; I said it before, we are all comrades." Bu Bu Qingfang patted the back of his hand and admonished softly: "Since you are going to investigate, then investigate until the truth is revealed; since you are going to handle it, then handle it until the case is as solid as a mountain."

After she finished speaking, she didn't forget to add: "This is the Secretary-General's original words; he is very much looking forward to your performance."

"Please rest assured, leadership; we will definitely work hard."

Zhou Zechuan's attitude was very low and very polite; he made a guarantee to Deputy Director Bu, took the documents and the letter, and after thanking her again, he walked out the door.

What did he come here for?

Bu Bu Qingfang was just waiting for him to come to her door; if he hadn't taken this "imperial sword" and "immunity medallion," he could still have found evidence at the freight station, but it would have been dangerous evidence.

He couldn't guarantee how the freight station side would have tried to trap him without Bu Bu Qingfang's phone call.

Now that he thought about it, was the fire Li Li Xuewu lit at the freight station really unintentional?

It came full circle; this should be called a stroke of genius.

PS: I drove back to Shenyang from Tianjin this afternoon; I shouldn't need to ask for leave.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1347 =====

(End of chapter)