Chapter 1367: The Storm Approaches

"This is the first time you've brought me out to eat, right?"

He Yu Shui glanced at the departing car, turned her head, and asked Li Xuewu, "Are you planning to make an issue out of me?"

"You? You have no ink in your chest and not even a peck of talent." Li Xuewu raised the corners of his mouth and said with a light laugh, "How many words could you write if I used you?"

"You let me join the Workers' Propaganda Team just for this day, right?"

He Yu Shui was neither shy nor annoyed; instead, she stared into his eyes, wanting to get to the bottom of it. "Does this meal count as a threat or a negotiation?"

"What do you think?" Li Xuewu turned his head to look at her and asked, "Is it a threat or a negotiation?"

"What do I think? I think you're young but calculating." He Yu Shui rolled her eyes at him, turned her head away, and curled her lip, saying, "You've gone to such great lengths to scheme against them; aren't you afraid of being held in resentment?"

"I'm not afraid of resentment; if there's any retaliation, it would have to be directed at you first." Li Xuewu waved his hand, signaling Nie Xiaoguang to bring the car over, and arranged, "Let the car take you home first."

"Whatever, I'm not afraid of retaliation." Yushui did not object to his arrangement, but her gaze carried a touch of coldness. "I just think it's exhausting for you to scheme back and forth like this; how meaningless."

"Hey—it's meaningful—"

Li Xuewu chuckled and raised his eyebrows, glanced at her, and said, "You'll understand once you've savored the three flavors of it."

"Then forget it, I don't need to." He Yu Shui lowered her eyes and stepped down the stairs. The car arrived; Li Xuewu's luxury sedan was parked right below the steps.

"I don't know if this counts as being meddlesome, but I still want to remind you of one thing." Before getting in the car, He Yu Shui looked back at him and said, "This working group leader doesn't look like an ordinary fence-sitter."

"Of course, ordinary winds can't move him."

Li Xuewu nodded and said with a smile, "Don't worry, the wind is very strong this time; he will have to fall."

"Then I'll listen to you and wait quietly for the good news."

He Yu Shui raised her eyebrows; the words she wanted to say to remind him to take care of his health ultimately remained unsaid.

She hadn't even won his heart, so what qualification did she have to remind him?

Li Xuewu, however, seemed not to notice the hesitation in her eyes; he gave Nie Xiaoguang a few instructions and returned upstairs.

Sitting in the car, He Yu Shui looked out the window and saw a beautiful figure welcoming Li Xuewu into the door; the two did not appear intimate in their behavior.

But could they really be discussing work when gathered together so late at night?

Who says men and women can't discuss work when gathered together late at night? Why, some people can even discuss scripts with the lights off.

The person welcoming Li Xuewu was none other than Wu Shuping, who had rushed over from Jinmen temporarily. This was her first time back in the capital.

"Who did you leave the child with? Sister Lu?"

Li Xuewu brought Wu Shuping back to the private room where they had just eaten, which was the east wing of the courtyard where the restaurant was located.

The heated kang here was burning warmly, and with the addition of central heating, it wasn't cold in the room even while wearing a thin sweater.

Under Li Xuewu's gesture, Wu Shuping took off her overcoat, wearing only a light blue form-fitting sweater.

She smoothed out her scattered hair, looked at Li Xuewu who was brewing tea, and replied, "Who else could I entrust the child to?"

"Is Xiaobai planning to stay in the capital permanently?"

As the conversation flowed, she complained again, "This girl has been like she vanished since returning from Jinmen, without a trace."

"Don't worry about her; we can't count on her anyway."

Li Xuewu brewed two cups of tea and placed them on the kang table; the waiter had just cleared the banquet from the floor table.

But having drunk for more than two hours, the smell of alcohol and the smoky scent of food still lingered in the room, feeling somewhat polluted.

Wu Shuping didn't mind; she sat by the edge of the kang, facing Li Xuewu sideways, her face showing a slight flush.

It wasn't the shyness of a man and woman alone in a room; the two had already slept in the same bed, so why would they care about this?

She was just a bit anxious, having rushed from Jinmen to see Li Xuewu without even bringing the child, even blocking him directly at the dinner party.

"Why does the investigation team want to check our transaction accounts?"

Without waiting to take a sip of hot tea, Wu Shuping got straight to the point about the purpose of her trip to the capital.

Li Xuewu did not show excessive surprise; he just paused with the teacup in his hand.

"Today I was called to the Trade Management Center, and a section chief who claimed to be from the Discipline Inspection Division of the Red Star Steel Group met with me."

Wu Shuping reported her encounter today to Li Xuewu in detail, finally concluding, "I don't think there are any problems with the business and management of Shunfeng Trading, and he didn't point out anything specific either."

"Did anyone notify you to actively cooperate with the investigation?"

Li Xuewu turned his head to look at her and asked, "Did the person who called you to the Trade Management Center give you a heads-up in advance?"

"No, they just said they had something to find me for." Wu Shuping frowned, looked at his expression, and asked, "Could it be aimed at us?"

"Not necessarily; that's not what I'm considering." Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and explained, "Not giving you a heads-up doesn't mean he's scheming against you; perhaps someone was watching the phone call he made."

"Furthermore, asking you to actively cooperate with the investigation isn't necessarily a good thing; it's possible they have some ulterior motive."

Li Xuewu put down the teacup in his hand and said calmly, "Don't be afraid. If it's really aimed at us, we'll have to speak with facts and evidence. Since they didn't say anything, it's fine."

"I'm still worried." Wu Shuping rested her elbows on the kang table, leaned forward, and reminded him softly, "Regarding the situation of management bonus distribution..."

"As long as there are no problems with the accounts, there won't be any problems."

Li Xuewu glanced at her and said very easily, "Shunfeng Trading doesn't have any actual vested interest holders."

"This is just a small collective joint-venture enterprise; internal problems are handled internally. The Red Star Group's Discipline Inspection can't reach here."

"But..." Wu Shuping still asked with some worry, "Will the Trade Management Center cancel our distribution qualification because the Group's Discipline Inspection has launched an investigation into us?"

"Then what would be the use of the cooperation agreement?"

Li Xuewu tapped the table with his fingers and reminded her, "No matter what you do, the procedure must be correct."

"The Group's Discipline Inspection relying on such means to launch an investigation into Shunfeng Trading is already overstepping; they won't make mistakes."

He looked into Wu Shuping's eyes and said seriously, "However, your worry is correct; you can't let your guard down at this time."

"There might be changes on Xiaobai's side. If there are irresistible factors, I will arrange for Yang Zhao to take over Shunfeng Trading."

"Why, has something happened?"

Wu Shuping had encountered too many changes over these years, especially after returning to the capital, and her nerves were somewhat taut.

Li Xuewu nodded, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and explained softly, "Since this thunder is going to explode on her, her parents won't continue to let her drift on her own."

"You really are willing to let go!" Wu Shuping's words were not without complaint. "Shunfeng Trading is exposed, and Xiaobai is also exposed."

"This isn't a question of being willing or not." Li Xuewu shook his head helplessly and said, "Do you think if I hadn't lit this fire, Shunfeng Trading wouldn't have exploded after I left the Group?"

"There has only ever been sharing adversity; I've never heard of sharing wealth."

His expression became a bit more desolate, and he sighed slightly, "Whether it's Zhang Changming or Li Huai De, I'm afraid they are no longer satisfied with those dividends. Wouldn't kicking us out and going it alone earn them more?"

"Truly, human greed is insatiable!"

Wu Shuping widened her eyes and said, "It must have been Zhang Changming's brother-in-law who instigated it, right? Can he even handle this?"

"Idle and useless."

The more she spoke, the angrier she became, and her words carried even more complaints. "The earnings these past two years have been good, but where have we ever treated them unfairly?"

"Those who take dividends without working still complain about the split; isn't this just asking for trouble!"

"Don't be angry, it's not worth it."

Li Xuewu said indifferently, "If you can do it, do it; if you can't, you should rest more. Anyway, we aren't short of this money for the time being."

"I just feel it's a pity—"

Wu Shuping pouted, "This framework and these channels were all built by us with great difficulty. Are we just going to abandon them like this?"

"I know you're reluctant, but there's no other way."

Li Xuewu was afraid she would be anxious and upset, so he pushed her teacup toward her hand and consoled her, "The distribution policy is about to change."

"What policy?" Wu Shuping was somewhat confused when she suddenly heard this; she had been away from school for three years. But after a pause, she understood and widened her eyes, asking, "Really?"

"Could it be fake? It's real!"

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "You'll know when you read the newspaper tomorrow; it includes all urban middle and high school students."

He gestured with his hand and indicated, "All of them have to go to the countryside to participate in labor education; the sales channels in the capital are going to be destroyed."

"This—this is really—"

Wu Shuping naturally wouldn't doubt Li Xuewu's words; she was just shocked by this news. "This is too sudden."

"It's not very sudden; actually, there were signs before the New Year." Li Xuewu explained, "Last year, a group of students voluntarily settled in Inner Mongolia; I'm afraid this event provided the higher-ups with a way to solve the employment and placement of middle school students from '66 to '68."

"Then—Xiaobai—" Wu Shuping opened her eyes wide and asked, "Does she also have to settle in the countryside?"

"Not necessarily; it's also possible she will join the army."

Li Xuewu didn't avoid the topic with her and directly told the truth; this could also be considered the best way out for young people nowadays.

Wu Shuping naturally understood his words and understood even better that perhaps only young people with Zhou Xiaobai's status had the opportunity to choose this path.

"You anticipated that today would come long ago." She looked at him with a gaze full of suspicion and a bit of admiration, asking, "That's why you dared to smash the pot and destroy this business; aren't you afraid they'll profit from it?"

"I wish I had the ability to know things before they happen."

Li Xuewu replied with a light laugh, "That way I wouldn't have to suffer this anger; wouldn't it be better to drag them out one by one and shoot them?"

"Always saying scary things—" Wu Shuping rolled her eyes at him, then thought for a moment and asked, "Then—if Shunfeng Trading is no longer doing it, are we withdrawing our setup in Jinmen?"

"Who said we aren't doing it?" Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "Once the storm passes, we'll change the name and continue our old line of work."

The news about Zhou Xiaobai was not leaked. On the 22nd, which was Monday, the newspaper indeed published the relevant content.

"It is indeed necessary for educated youth to go to the countryside to receive re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants, but if everyone goes..."

Bu Qingfang put down the newspaper, saw the Secretary-General sitting behind the desk yawning, raised her eyebrows, and asked, "Didn't you rest well last night?"

"Yeah, the closer it gets to the weekend, the busier it gets."

Li Xuewu had been busy all night last night, and his energy was somewhat lacking when he got up early. He had already yawned several times since Bu Qingfang entered the room.

Hearing her ask this, he also felt embarrassed; he took the initiative to stand up, took his teacup, and went to the tea cabinet at the door to refill the hot water.

"Has the year-end summary report of the Comprehensive Management Department come out?"

"You're still thinking about work, haven't you seen this?" Bu Qingfang shook the newspaper in her hand and introduced, "Everyone in the agency is discussing this matter; it doesn't just involve one or two people."

"Who doesn't have children in middle school? I can't say they've been pampered, but no one can bear to send them to the countryside to suffer."

"You're a Deputy Secretary-General, mind the occasion when you speak."

Li Xuewu walked back with the teacup, glanced at her, and reminded her, "You still have to talk about ideological awareness, right?"

"If I can't speak the truth to you, then this Deputy Secretary-General of mine has really cultivated into a Maitreya Buddha, only smiling without opening my mouth."

Bu Qingfang didn't avoid her close relationship with him at all; her gaze remained on the newspaper, but her mouth kept talking non-stop.

She had only been busy with work for less than two hours in the morning when she came over here, looking like she had a feeling she couldn't help but express.

Li Xuewu just went along with her and listened to her talk about the excitement the front-page headline news of today's newspaper had brought to the agency.

"Three classes of middle school students..." She frowned slightly, counted on her fingers, raised her head, and looked at Li Xuewu in surprise, asking, "It must be in the millions... right?"

"Millions? I'm afraid it's more than that."

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows, shook his head slightly, and said, "Middle school, high school, technical school—how many people would there be over three years?"

No one had counted this data, and no one had cared; they only knew the number was very large, very large indeed.

Bu Qingfang was so shocked she couldn't speak, looking at Li Xuewu with a furrowed brow and asking, "Do they all have to go?"

"Basically, unless there's a placement." Li Xuewu glanced at her, the meaning in his gaze left unsaid.

Bu Qingfang's brain also cleared up a bit; she narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "Then the United School... I'm afraid they're going to break their heads trying to get in."

She only mentioned the United School but cautiously did not mention other channels, which was considered a taboo in the Group.

The Group's Discipline Inspection had been very active lately; who would dare to arrange people or go through the back door at this time?

What was more critical was that she didn't mention the Workers' Propaganda Team; who could have imagined that at the end of the year, the Workers' Propaganda Team would become the protagonist of this year's work?

It was just as she said at the beginning: who doesn't have children? Who doesn't have children in middle school?

The Workers' Propaganda Team held the direct management authority over primary, middle, and high schools; arranging who goes for training is just a matter of a stroke of a pen.

That's right, who is the person in charge of the Workers' Propaganda Team again?

"Should this opening be opened or not?"

Li Huai De frowned, the pencil in his hand had already broken its tip, but he didn't care.

Looking at the team members sitting around the office desk who weren't speaking, his brow furrowed even tighter.

"I know some comrades still have concerns in their hearts; you don't dare to speak, or you don't want to speak."

He paused, looked in the direction of Gu Weijie, and asked, "Comrade Weijie, you are in charge of organizational work, talk about it."

"It's better to ask Comrade Yunong to talk about it."

Gu Weijie didn't take this up but looked at Jing Yunong, who was sitting opposite, and said, "After all, Comrade Yunong is in charge of personnel work."

When Jing Yunong heard this, she curled her lip in her heart. It was true that she was in charge of personnel work, but had there been few people pointing fingers at personnel work on weekdays? Who hadn't offered opinions on personnel work?

Today, they all pretended to be ignorant, each one cautious and careful, as if they were afraid of committing a crime.

Besides, personnel reform had been carried out vigorously for more than two years; who didn't know that the Group's personnel power was held in the hands of Director Li?

Her work division included the Personnel and Labor Department, but the focus was still on the Financial Control Department.

Why did Li Huai De name Gu Weijie to speak? Wasn't it because he knew clearly who held the personnel power?

Gu Weijie was a good hand at kicking the ball; she didn't kick it back but kicked it to her—how was she supposed to speak?

"There are only two ways to talk about whether to open this opening or not." Jing Yunong couldn't not speak, so she spoke frankly, "Open it—how many placement quotas can the Group provide? Don't open it—how to explain it to the employees?"

"If there are no quotas to provide, then think about whether you can explain it clearly to the employees. If you can't explain it clearly to the employees, then you have to consider how many placement quotas can be provided."

Look at how this was said; it was equivalent to saying nothing.

But Deputy Director Jing had already spoken; no one else could make things difficult for her, and one still had to say that her words made some sense.

Li Huai De's gaze had been turning around the conference table, looking at Li Xuewu several times, but he hadn't received a clear reply.

If you want to talk about quick wit in the team, it has to be Li Xuewu, the Little Zhuge of Red Star. But Li Xuewu wouldn't open his mouth, and he couldn't just walk over and grab his chin to make him speak.

The Secretary-General was ranked last in the team; even if he named Li Xuewu, he had to ask other comrades first.

But he had just named Gu Weijie and hit a wall, and listening to Jing Yunong's opinion was equivalent to listening to nothing.

"Ahem, let me talk about my opinion."

Cheng Kaiyuan coughed twice and took the initiative to speak, "Currently, there is still a gap in high-quality talent for industrial production positions."

"For example, the aircraft production line about to be put into production, the electronic industry production line, the automobile industry production line, etc..."

"Deputy Director Cheng, do you mean to eliminate another batch of existing position workers?"

Gu Weijie frowned slightly and looked at him, reminding him, "The Group doesn't have much ability to place these people now."

"The Construction Corporation, then." Xue Zhifu said, "The construction company can still place some workers, hmm hmm."

Gu Weijie glanced at him and then looked at Li Huai De, wanting to see what he had to say.

Li Huai De was in no hurry to express his stance but looked at the other comrades present.

Because it was the Group's Management Committee, it was a time when everyone needed to brainstorm, so Zhang Jinsong, who had made a mistake, and Xiong Bencheng, who was ill, also appeared in the conference room, just keeping their heads down without speaking.

"Let the fire department and security department recruit more people."

Su Weide originally wanted to watch the excitement, but seeing Wang Xiaoqin, who was attending, about to speak, he interrupted, "The Supervision General Team can't hold any more."

Wang Xiaoqin, the representative of the three branches, glanced at him, and seeing him take the initiative, she was happy to shut up, saving herself from offending anyone.

"Fire department team construction, that's fine." Li Huai De nodded and looked at Wang Xiaoqin, instructing, "The security team should still focus on strengthening public security forces, emphasizing quality over quantity."

"Understood, Director Li." Wang Xiaoqin nodded, speaking very little.

Li Huai De was very satisfied with her recent performance, especially when several of Li Xuewu's opinions were suppressed, and he didn't see her wanting to express her stance; this was what he cared about and worried about the most.

The situation of the Red Star Steel Group was relatively special; if it were in another enterprise, the Management Committee would have been hollowed out by the representatives of the three branches long ago.

Because of Li Xuewu's relationship with the Wei Third Regiment, Wang Xiaoqin's performance in coming to work at the Group was very low-key.

And precisely because of this, his game with Li Xuewu also revealed caution everywhere, not daring to press too hard.

To put it bluntly, the trump cards in Li Xuewu's hands were too many, so many that any one he pulled out could be considered a "king bomb."

Li Xuewu didn't want to flip the table, and he couldn't be shameless and push his luck. Politics is always the art of compromise.

"Aircraft manufacturing plant, electronic manufacturing plant, automobile manufacturing plant, engineering construction company, fire department, and security department." Li Huai De counted them one by one on his fingers, his gaze still patrolling the crowd, as if waiting for the next person's speech to provide one more choice.

Perhaps because Li Huai De's gaze was fixed too tightly, Gao Yaqin coughed lightly and took the initiative to speak, "Sales, then. Let each branch of the Sales General Corporation recruit more sales personnel, two hundred people."

She was cautious and smart; she didn't speak vaguely like the others. Although she agreed, she also limited the number, not leaving Li Huai De any room to play.

Li Huai De glanced at her, seemingly noticing the issue of the number, and emphasized, "Sales work is the focus of the Group next year; it's also fine to cultivate more reserve forces."

After speaking, without waiting for Gao Yaqin to react, he added, "Two hundred people isn't enough; let's make it five hundred."

Are we having a meeting or selling vegetables? Does this thing have to be bargained for? Gao Yaqin was also left between laughter and tears, and could only nod and accept it.

"Five hundred for sales, two thousand for precision position workers."

Old Li began to set the tone, looking at the notes he had just made, writing while arranging, "Two hundred for fire and security."

"For the construction company here..." He raised his head and looked at Xue Zhifu, seemingly waiting for his opinion.

At this time, speaking up could still be a bit more proactive; if Old Li spoke himself, there might not be any room for maneuver.

"Two thousand people, then."

Xue Zhifu nodded and emphasized, "The conditions of the construction team are still very hard; when recruiting, we must explain it clearly in advance."

"Next year is the conclusion of the three-year plan; engineering management is very critical. Two thousand people is a bit few; add more."

Li Huai De still respected Xue Zhifu's attitude, not as direct as he was with the new comrade Gao Yaqin.

He thought for a moment and said, "Two thousand five hundred people will definitely be manageable; recruit more high school students to cultivate them, and in the future, we'll have to count on them to support the construction business."

Since things had already been said to this point, what else could Xue Zhifu say? If it's five hundred more, then it's five hundred more; he would find a way to place them on his side.

"Five thousand two hundred people." Li Huai De aimed his gaze at others again, as if hunting.

"The literary publishing house here just completed an expansion this year and hasn't achieved a balance between profit and loss itself."

Gu Weijie said, "The Education and Medical Administration hasn't given any placement indicators for middle school graduates."

"Organize a spring enrollment for the United School, two thousand people for middle and high school, train for half a year, and take the unified exam."

Li Huai De arranged in an unquestionable tone, "Those who are qualified will enter the next level of school; those who are not qualified will be handled according to regulations."

Handled according to regulations? How to handle them?

If half of the two thousand students in this batch fail the unified exam, do they have to be processed for withdrawal?

Li Huai De was panicking and throwing medicine at the doctor; Gu Weijie just wanted to refute, but saw that he had already decided on this matter.

The atmosphere in the conference room was somewhat solemn; Old Li's somewhat domineering behavior made those who didn't want to speak even less willing to open their mouths.

Not speaking didn't mean there were no arrangements.

Li Huai De looked at the number of 7,200 people in his notebook and still felt it wasn't enough, his gaze drifting toward Zhang Jinsong again.

"The Labor Service Company can still place five hundred people, not a single one more." Zhang Jinsong said firmly, "Any more can only be placed on the Energy General Corporation side: miners, electricians, pipeline networks."

"Something is better than nothing; let's make it one thousand."

Li Huai De could hear the firmness in his tone, but still doubled his demand.

"High school students are still very precious; coordinate with production, strictly grasp the assessment, and increase the intensity of diversion."

This meant swapping position workers for high school students, and then placing the eliminated position workers into difficult working conditions.

Zhang Jinsong raised his head and glanced at him, thought for a moment, but still didn't speak; these one thousand people were not the most in today's meeting.

"The Financial Settlement Center and the United Savings Bank need five hundred more financial personnel; you can cultivate them yourselves."

Jing Yunong saw that this meeting was everyone's share; since she couldn't run away, she could only take the initiative to make demands.

Li Huai De didn't make things difficult for her; whether it was finance or personnel, one couldn't do it without a certain degree of professionalism.

Even if cultivating them, the energy and financial resources invested were too great, so she said five hundred, and it was five hundred.

8,700 people; Li Huai De wanted to make it a round number in his heart, so he could ask for credit from above.

"Secretary-General, you're the only one left."

He still fixed his gaze on Li Xuewu and said, "The Comprehensive Management Department has no indicators; you have many units you are in contact with, squeeze them, think of a way."

"Secretaries, then, cultivate some more." Li Xuewu was prepared and said directly, "Arrange some more for the guesthouse and international hotel, three hundred people?"

"Hmm, three hundred people." Li Huai De thought for a moment and didn't dare to double this number; if problems arose, he would have to handle them himself.

"Comrade Wenxue is not in the capital, and the Liaodong industry side has been talked about; let's leave him an indicator of one thousand people."

He looked at the number of 10,000 in his notebook and said with satisfaction, "This work still needs to trouble Comrade Weijie and Comrade Yunong to work hard and come up with a charter as soon as possible."

"I'll emphasize one thing here: don't just look at the status of being a factory employee's child; still emphasize ability and academic qualifications."

Li Huai De said seriously, "Record the registration materials according to the conditions; prioritize high school graduates, then consider middle school students. This might be the last personnel reinforcement for our Group."

This statement wasn't unreasonable; it was just the three-year education plan, and this year was already the second year. After enrollment ends next year, the United School will no longer conduct social unified enrollment, and the pressure is still great.

Why?

This year has passed, next year will pass, and the year after, which is 1970, the graduates cultivated by the United School will enter the Group.

This time, 8,000 out of 10,000 people have to be assigned to positions, and only 2,000 indicators can enter the campus.

8,000 people have already severely squeezed the future position space, and the assignment of United School graduates is also a big problem.

Old Li's operation belongs to tearing down the east wall to repair the west wall, completely ignoring what to do in the future.

And there was no discussion about the Workers' Propaganda Team in this meeting; who didn't know this was the key?

Did Old Li forget, or was it on purpose?

After the meeting, the team members looked at each other, and the final gaze fell on Li Xuewu.

But Li Xuewu appeared very calm, his intentions couldn't be seen, but who could ignore this threat?

Nominally, the Workers' Propaganda Team is under Gu Weijie's jurisdiction, and in reality, Gu Weijie is the one in charge, but who is the actual person in charge?

This morning, He Yu Shui's materials had been placed on the desks of the Group's leaders; she had been investigated thoroughly.

There were no problems in her personnel files, but interested people had long ago learned about the relationship between her and Li Xuewu through the secretary.

Of course, this relationship couldn't be elevated to a political level; who could care about a neighbor relationship, and the two units didn't need to avoid each other.

This was very troublesome; the Workers' Propaganda Team controlled the placement and assignment of graduates, completely pinching the lifeline of the factory employees.

The Group's team members weren't worried that their own children would be affected and placed, but they couldn't guarantee everyone in the agency.

Anyone who takes a stand at this time must consider it carefully; if they really offend Li Xuewu, can they bear to lose their children?

Does this count as a threat?

It counts, and it doesn't, because Li Xuewu didn't make any moves, nor did he talk to anyone. This counts as an "open plot."

Su Weide wished he could throw that personnel material onto the table; he had calculated everything but hadn't calculated that the higher-ups would come up with this.

How did Li Xuewu know?

Or, did Li Xuewu know at all? If he didn't know, how did he calculate this day? Could he really be able to predict the future?

This is a workplace, not a Taoist temple!

From the day the conflict arose, everyone had been watching Li Xuewu, but this Secretary-General sat firmly on the fishing platform, neither sad nor happy.

Even if everyone thought the Secretary-General had admitted defeat, was convinced, and was willing to be suppressed by other leaders of the Group.

Even if the Secretary-General wasn't convinced, he could only stubbornly use those few cases of Discipline Inspection to delay time and linger on.

I'm afraid even Director Li was waiting for the Secretary-General to take the initiative to admit defeat and draw a period to this case.

When the news in the newspaper came out this morning, how many people gasped and felt a chill down their spines.

The Secretary-General dug a retreat for all of them; this move, where silence is better than sound, made how many people's sphincters tighten.

Can you guarantee that the Secretary-General didn't notice your little actions?

Can you guarantee that he won't use small actions against you, arranging your son or daughter to go to distant Turpan to pick grapes?

No one dared to bet that the Secretary-General's gun had no bullets!

The more silent Li Xuewu was, the more terrified they became; no one wanted to stand out anymore, and no one dared to discuss the Secretary-General anymore.

The news published on the 22nd left them only ten days or so; how should they choose?

Su Weide sat behind the office desk with a livid face, having already cursed Li Xuewu thoroughly in his heart.

It was just that cursing was satisfying, but he still wasn't happy in his heart.

Li Xuewu's move was called "the trend of the times"; who dared to test its edge?

Looking at it this way, it was correct to shift the target to Zhang Jinsong at the beginning; he still had to continue working hard to get Old Zhang down.

If Old Zhang goes down, Old Li will have a hard time.

It's just that the Group's Discipline Inspection is now impenetrable; it's completely under the guidance and supervision of the working group. Can Yang Jun help him?

No need for Yang Jun to help; someone "helped" him.

Just as the Management Committee set the tone and the organizational and personnel departments quickly issued detailed rules for the recruitment of factory employees' children and new employees, the Group's Discipline Inspection received several real-name report letters one after another.

A basin of cold water was splashed into the boiling oil pan, and it exploded instantly.

There were real-name reports and exposures of the Jinmen Shunfeng Trading having interest transmission behaviors in related trade and organizational management.

There was another real-name report of Management Committee Director Li Huai De accepting benefits from Dongfeng 31 Construction, helping the other party enter the United Enterprise.

There was another real-name report of Management Committee Director Li Huai De, together with Jinmen Aquatic Products General Corporation Director Han Qingwei and Deputy Director Zhang Changming, privately setting up a joint-venture company, establishing Shunfeng Trading for profit in the name of relatives.

There was another real-name report of Management Committee Director Li Huai De having abnormal relationships with Sales General Corporation International Business Department Brand Department Director Zhou Miaomiao, Group Literary Publishing House Literary Performance Management Office Theater Manager Han Lu, Radio Station Director Yu Haitang, and others.

There was another real-name report of Management Committee Director Li Huai De violating regulations in placing related parties during the selection period for the Hong Kong training class.

Slap—

Yang Jun threw the materials in his hand onto Su Weide's office desk, his eyes looking as if they were about to spit fire.

"Deputy Director Su, what exactly are you trying to do!"

He was really anxious, slapping Su Weide's office desk with his hand and questioning sharply, "Do you still think this farce isn't lively enough?"

"Do you want me to go back, invite Director Du over to preside over the overall situation for you, and let him watch you toss and turn!"

"You—you—"

Su Weide was also completely confused, not knowing what he was talking about at all, just feeling it was very serious and harsh.

Although he was annoyed by Yang Jun's rudeness, he also knew that the other party couldn't have come to find fault for no reason if he could get this angry.

"This isn't—you suspect me?"

Su Weide picked up the materials on the table and browsed through them quickly, his face changing drastically, and he raised his head to look at Yang Jun.

He wanted to explain, but in the end, it turned into questioning.

Yes, Yang Jun and he had once been in the same unit; although this relationship couldn't be called emotional, it wouldn't reach the point of tearing faces apart.

Seeing Yang Jun's expression, he suspected him, thinking that these report letters were instigated by him to be handed in by people below.

"I'm crazy? It's not me!"

"Let's change the perspective; I'm telling you this, can you believe it?" Yang Jun snatched the document from his hand and sneered, "Who are you trying to fool? If it's not you, who else could it be!"

"How could it be me?"

Su Weide felt a great grievance, pointed at the materials in his hand, and said, "I did grasp some of the content above, but I haven't had time to confirm it yet. Besides, even if I confirmed the problems above, I wouldn't arrange for others to report with their real names."

This material didn't mark who reported with their real name, but in Su Weide's mind, someone must be playing tricks behind his back.

This kind of method wasn't rare; there are always people who want to take risks and play tricks in the dark, it's just that he was momentarily flustered and couldn't produce evidence.

Yang Jun, however, didn't believe his ghost stories, stared with his eyes, and said, "You tell me, who would do this? Li Huai De? Reporting himself? Li Xuewu? Reporting Li Huai De and destroying his own future?"

"Who else? You tell me, who else?"

He patted the office desk with the materials in his hand and questioned, "Who else wants to watch the excitement of the Red Star Steel Group, who else wants to stir up this game of chess, so they can borrow a chicken to lay eggs."

Perhaps he was tired of scolding, perhaps he was tired in his heart, Yang Jun glared at him hatefully and said, "You clean up the shit you laid yourself; I don't have the ability to wipe your ass."

This couldn't be more straightforward.

Yang Jun's first visit to the Red Star Steel Group was to investigate the situation and also to smooth out the contradictions.

He only talked to several parties, and the results weren't ideal.

He wasn't easy to deal with either; if soft didn't work, he naturally had to come hard, so he applied to the leaders for a working group to come down.

On one hand, it was to investigate the problems clearly, and on the other, it was to force the team of the Red Star Steel Group to complete compromise and grinding as soon as possible.

If he didn't have this intention and purpose, he wouldn't have accepted Li Xuewu's invitation to eat that meal.

It's just that he could feel the efforts made by Li Xuewu's side; even with Li Huai De's ambiguity, he had the confidence to make the problems of the Red Star Steel Group disappear as soon as possible.

But how could he have imagined that all the efforts here were in vain, just because Su Weide didn't listen to instructions and acted without authorization.

Su Weide said he didn't do these things; how do you expect Yang Jun to believe him? Could there be more forces in this team?

Zhang Jinsong had already entered the game, Cheng Kaiyuan was keeping his tail between his legs, and Gao Yaqin was a newcomer who hadn't stood firm yet.

If you want to talk about Dong Wenxue, he was far away in Liaodong, and his reach couldn't extend here. Xue Zhifu was an old Discipline Inspection hand, in charge of engineering, and rarely spoke.

Gu Weijie is not discussed for the time being; Jing Yunong has a conflict with Li Xuewu. Yang Jun really wanted to give the argumentative Su Weide a slap.

It's already at this point, and he still isn't telling the truth!

Since Su Weide didn't trust him and didn't tell him the truth, why should he care whether Su Weide lived or died?

Yang Jun left in anger, and Su Weide was completely paralyzed.

He also tried hard to think in his heart who exactly set this trap; this was definitely a trap.

Don't think about finding out who reported with their real name; in this era, workers have the right to supervise and report.

If you dare to find them to reason, they'll give you a punch, and you won't have anywhere to reason, so you can only calculate in your brain.

But Su Weide paced in the office for a long time, thinking until his brain broke, and he still couldn't think of who was scheming against him at this timing.

Indeed, Li Xuewu had won back a city in the Management Committee meeting that had just ended, but it hadn't reached the point of deciding the winner yet.

To say Li Xuewu did this had no possibility at all; since he could use an open plot, who would use a conspiracy?

Just like what Yang Jun said, Li Xuewu would definitely not destroy Li Huai De and destroy his own Great Wall.

Could it be Li Huai De self-smearing?

Thinking of this, Su Weide wished he could give himself a slap; thinking of Li Huai De as a fool meant he was an even bigger fool.

No matter how Li Huai De smears himself, he wouldn't shake out his bottom line; this isn't called self-smearing, this is called surrendering.

Wrong! Something is wrong—

Su Weide stopped his steps, picked up the phone, and called Liang Zuodong; this was the only person he could think of.

Mixing fish eyes with pearls, dragging everyone into the water—only Liang Zuodong, who had fallen into the water, could do such a thing.

It's just that Liang Zuodong on the phone sounded even more aggrieved than him; he said those problems and evidence were all handed over to Dou Yaozu to handle.

Wait, who is Dou Yaozu?

Liang Zuodong said Dou Yaozu is the General Manager of Dongfeng 31 Construction, and also asked Dou Yaozu to report through others.

It's ruined; which link went wrong? How could Dou Yaozu report himself!

It's just that if he wanted to find out where the problem was at this time, there were too many links!

Terrible, the villain turned out to be myself?

(End of chapter)