Chapter 1385: Releasing Military Power Over a Cup of Wine

"Leader, I've found the documents you requested." Zhang Enyuan placed a stack of manila-wrapped files on the long desk, then turned to report to Li Li Xuewu behind the office desk: "Where should I put the remaining architectural blueprints?"

"Just find any place to put them."

At this moment, Li Li Xuewu was flipping through a thick dossier himself and replied without even lifting his head.

Zhang Enyuan moved his lips but ultimately did not speak the words he intended; after all, he was still unfamiliar with the leader's temperament.

If he misspoke or if anything went awry, it would be troublesome; he constantly reminded himself that he was merely a secretary.

What is a secretary for? To do whatever the leader orders.

"I almost forgot." Just as Zhang Enyuan turned to move the blueprints, the leader suddenly lifted his head and instructed him: "Tell the guesthouse to prepare a banquet table according to the 25-yuan standard, and serve Wuxing Wuxing Maotai for the drinks."

Li Li Xuewu casually placed the finished dossier on his left side, picked up another file with his other hand, and said, "After the meal, don't forget to get the expense list from the guesthouse; I will pay personally."

"Leader, this—" Zhang Enyuan had been diligently memorizing the leader's earlier instructions, but upon hearing that the leader intended to pay personally, he asked in surprise: "You personally?"

"Yes, I will pay personally." Li Li Xuewu ignored his surprise, repeated the statement, then opened the material in his hands and said, "Calculate the number of people; let's set the time for 7 o'clock."

"Alright—I understand." Zhang Enyuan had a belly full of questions and surprises he wanted to voice, but he lacked both the mouth for it and the courage.

This leader was far too unconventional; did he really have to cover the entertainment expenses himself?

It wasn't that he was surprised by Li Li Xuewu's integrity, but such an arrangement would inevitably spark gossip.

Having just taken office, how many pairs of eyes were watching this office? Every order issued from here would be dissected word by word, even analyzed from every possible angle.

He had known since standing on the platform that the leader intended to host a banquet for the heads of all branch institutions of the group working in Liaodong.

But even if the guests weren't outsiders, Li Li Xuewu's annual entertainment budget at the Metallurgical Plant had no upper limit; was it really necessary to draw such a clear line?

"Enyuan? What are you thinking about?"

Liao Jinhui emerged from the office, saw Old Zhang approaching with furrowed brows, and greeted him with a smile.

Zhang Enyuan snapped out of his thoughts; after a momentary stunned pause, he smiled politely and said, "Director Liao, just call me Old Zhang; if you address me like that, I feel quite unaccustomed."

"Unaccustomed or not, you must get used to it." Liao Jinhui pretended to be serious and glared at him; only when Zhang approached did he soften his expression and explain softly: "The authority of the Chief Secretary is very important."

His tone filled with concern as he spoke: "Your current position is vastly different from before; you must always remember to uphold your own authority and status, because you represent the Secretary-General."

"This—I will listen to you." Zhang Enyuan wanted to remain modest, but seeing Director Liao put on a stern face again, he simply smiled and agreed.

"That's more like it—"

Seeing Old Zhang so receptive to instruction, Liao Jinhui finally broke into a smile and praised him with appreciative eyes.

"By the way, I saw you looked deeply troubled just now..." He hadn't forgotten his earlier question; staring into Zhang Enyuan's eyes, he asked, "Did the leader give you some arrangement that put you in a difficult spot?"

Without waiting for Zhang Enyuan to answer, he continued on his own: "Is it about hosting leaders from other units tonight, or did you encounter trouble retrieving materials from the Confidential Section?"

"Let me tell you, nothing concerning the leader is trivial; if you truly encounter trouble or face difficulties, never keep it bottled up inside."

Liao Jinhui nodded earnestly at Old Zhang, emphasizing: "You must tell me immediately, and I will help you handle it."

"Yes, Director Liao." Zhang Enyuan sneered inwardly but became even more humble outwardly; maintaining his simple and honest demeanor, he said, "The leader wanted to review documents; the Confidential Section didn't fail to cooperate. It's just the matter of tonight's banquet that I'm a bit unsure about."

"Oh? I thought so—" Liao Jinhui looked Zhang Enyuan up and down and said, "If there's any difficulty, tell me; is the guesthouse being inconvenient, or what?"

"It's neither; it's on the leader's side."

Zhang Enyuan glanced back toward the leader's office and explained softly: "The leader just instructed that after the meal concludes, I should go to the guesthouse to request the bill."

"Request the bill?" Liao Jinhui frowned slightly and asked in surprise, "What does he need the bill for?"

"To request the bill; he intends to pay for it himself."

Zhang Enyuan lowered his brows and eyes as he replied with this sentence, appearing quite aggrieved and troubled.

Liao Jinhui's surprise turned to astonishment, his brows knitting even tighter. He looked at Old Zhang with a meaningful gaze and asked, "Didn't you tell the leader about the entertainment expense quota?"

"Oh my, how would I dare—"

Zhang Enyuan looked left and right, leaned close to Liao Jinhui's ear, and whispered: "You don't know; I'm truly afraid of him."

"Old Zhang—" Seeing Zhang Enyuan so blunt, Liao Jinhui felt considerably relieved inwardly, yet he reminded him sternly on the surface: "How can you speak like this? You are the leader's secretary."

Assigning Old Zhang and Xiao Ma to tidy up the new leader's office was the thing Liao Jinhui had regretted most over the past few days.

Old Zhang was simple and honest; in over twenty years at the unit, he had never been a troublemaker nor offended any leader. Whoever served as Office Director, he obeyed their orders, working diligently up to today.

Fortune had finally turned, yet he felt uncomfortable in his heart. If Old Zhang truly owed him a favor, then Old Zhang would certainly be his man; but arranging for the master and apprentice pair to help couldn't exactly be counted as bestowing a favor.

Liao Jinhui still couldn't gauge the new leader's attitude toward him; the office absolutely could not be placed in a passive position.

He needed to test whether Old Zhang harbored any other intentions; if he had completely sided with the leader and started saying this and that, the disaster would not fall on him alone.

Now, seeing Old Zhang dare to gossip about the new leader with him, although he couldn't yet determine if Old Zhang was sincere, it was still a good start. Didn't this precisely demonstrate his control and influence over the office?

"With others, I naturally wouldn't dare speak this way." Zhang Enyuan's expression grew even more bitter, looking as if he were so troubled he might cry. He whispered to Liao Jinhui: "Just this morning, the leader even reprimanded me, telling me not to open the car door for him in the future."

"What situation is this now?"

Liao Jinhui was completely bewildered by Old Zhang's sentence after sentence; looking at him, he asked, "What did you do wrong?"

Look at that; the corners of Old Zhang's mouth were practically curling up to the top of his skull inwardly, as if implying he must have definitely done something wrong.

"Sigh—let's not mention it—" Zhang Enyuan let out a long sigh and said, "After you gave me your instructions yesterday, my heart was in turmoil; I was terrified of doing something wrong somewhere."

"You know me; how would I know how to perform secretarial work? I even specifically asked around about it."

He patted his palm and said, "Isn't opening the car door for the leader part of the Ji Ben Gong? I just wasn't paying attention and..."

"Sigh—"

"Surely it's not that bad?" Seeing Old Zhang sighing and groaning as if the leader already despised him, Liao Jinhui couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart. He hadn't prepared to badmouth Old Zhang to the leader, nor did he plan to replace him right now.

"Alright, you'd better go handle it yourself."

Old Zhang waved his hand helplessly and said, "The leader also told me to move the blueprints from the Confidential Room; if I'm late, it will be even worse."

"Mm-hmm, go ahead."

Liao Jinhui watched his departing back with eyes full of suspicion, his brows remaining furrowed and unrelaxed.

Logically speaking, Old Zhang wasn't of a cunning nature; why was he so obviously instigating him to run into the leader's bad luck?

It was simply too obvious, making Old Zhang appear as though he lacked that kind of scheming mind, as if there might be some other purpose.

Could this be the leader's strategy of pretending to release in order to capture, putting on a show of absolute impartiality and wanting them to play the villains?

If he truly went along with the leader's wishes, or perhaps allowed the leader to actively smear mud on his own feet, he would actually be willing to carry that blame.

Liao Yan Jiedi stood motionless, watching Old Zhang's figure disappear around the corner, before turning back to glance at Li Li Xuewu's office; after a moment of hesitation, he stepped forward.

"Master—"

"What are you shouting about? Watch your feet."

Zhang Enyuan looked up and saw his disciple, Ma Baosen, standing in the doorway.

Seeing the young man being so clumsy and reckless, he used the excuse of pointing at the pile of documents by the door to shoot him a fierce glare.

Ma Baosen was sharp enough; following his master's gaze, he saw the secretary from the Confidential Section standing inside the shelving unit.

"Section Chief Liu assigned me to help you move the materials."

He explained with some embarrassment, "I just made a trip to the Propaganda Section and arrived late."

"Why are you still so clumsy and reckless?" Old Zhang scolded dissatisfiedly. "You haven't improved one bit."

"Alright, Director Zhang, now that your disciple is here, I'm finally liberated." The secretary from the Confidential Section was most adept at reading the room; in his eyes, Ma Baosen's explanation was too childish. It might fool ordinary people, but was he trying to play games with him?

Saying this, he emerged from the pile of documents, smiled, and pointed at Ma Baosen, saying, "Very good, he'll be useful."

"No improvement." Zhang Enyuan glared at his disciple again, then said to the confidential secretary, "Troubling you like this; the leader needs this urgently, so I had no choice."

"Director Zhang, there's no need to be so polite—" The confidential secretary was also a witty fellow; smiling at this moment, he said, "We'll have plenty of dealings in the future; if you remain this polite, I wouldn't dare get close to you."

"It is you who think highly of me; when you have time, I will treat you to a meal." Zhang Enyuan maintained his usual appearance of kindness and virtue, speaking politely: "You pick the place, and I'll pay."

"Absolutely not, I should be the one treating."

The confidential secretary walked to the doorway, patted Ma Baosen on the shoulder, and said to Zhang Enyuan, "My schedule is flexible, so it depends on you; please, do not be so polite anymore."

Having said this, he was already gone, seemingly intending to leave the space for the master and disciple.

They say wise people survive longest in the bureaucracy; reaching the position of confidential secretary was not easy.

Not all secretaries are the same; in the past, Old Zhang was also called a secretary, or more flatteringly, a clerical secretary, but less flatteringly... let's not mention it, though some even called him a beast-of-burden secretary.

"Master—" Ma Baosen clung to the doorframe, glanced left and right, and seeing no one else, excitedly called out.

"What did I tell you this morning?"

Zhang Enyuan glanced at him and reminded him, "Didn't I tell you not to call me 'Master' in front of others from now on?"

"I'm just a green recruit; who would bother scheming against me?" Ma Baosen said to his master with complete indifference. "If I can take a bullet for you, I'd consider it worth it."

"Nonsense—" Zhang Enyuan glared at him and said, "Do I need you to take a bullet for me?"

He knew all too well what it meant for a young person to lose opportunities right after starting work, because he had suffered such bitterness himself.

In these twenty years, he had not been without disciples, but there was only this one whom he was willing to teach seriously.

He could see that Little Ma shared his personality, looking exactly like he did in his youth.

Especially this rashness and stubborn boldness made him feel both fondness and worry; he liked that the boy resembled his former self, yet worried he would become his former self—perhaps this was the helplessness of being a master.

This morning, after he picked up Li Li Xuewu and returned, Ma Baosen came to congratulate him; the first thing Zhang Enyuan told his disciple was this: he was not to call him 'Master' in public again.

"Who told you that newcomers aren't targeted by schemes?" He pulled his disciple further inside and spoke softly: "Those without conscience don't care if you are new or old; they eat people without spitting out bones, and if they don't play you to death, consider yourself lucky."

"Then they will die first—"

Ma Baosen raised his eyebrows, looked at his master, and spoke softly: "When I arrived, I happened to see Director Liao leaving the leader's office with a face full of bad luck, looking as if his own mother had died."

"More nonsense!" Old Zhang glared at his disciple and asked, "Did you hear what he said? Or what the leader said?"

"No, but someone else heard."

Ma Baosen cleverly arched his eyebrows and said with a mischievous smile, "Everyone is spreading rumors, saying the leader doesn't like secretaries opening car doors for him and even intends to pay for meals himself, and Director Liao went over to persuade him otherwise."

"And then?" There was no smug triumph on Zhang Enyuan's face, only deep apprehension and alertness; he asked, "What was Director Liao's attitude? Did he say anything?"

"What else could he say? He was rebuffed by the leader neither softly nor hard." Ma Baosen vividly imitated the conversation, his eyebrows dancing: "The leader even told him to focus more on his work and stop meddling in such useless matters."

"Heh-heh—" Zhang Enyuan couldn't help but sneer coldly, thinking that finally a tough leader had arrived.

If it hadn't been for Liao Yan Jiedi, Director Dong wouldn't have been so passive upon arriving in Steel City, nor would he have been dragged into a scandal involving illicit affairs.

Director Dong was a learned man and not entirely pedantic, but he was far too compassionate like a woman; in pursuit of development and stability, he turned a blind eye to certain matters.

Since the time of Factory Director Luo, Liao Yan Jiedi had been famous for knowing how to read people's expressions and being adept at guessing leaders' thoughts; after Director Dong arrived, this fellow became even more smooth and slick, coaxing the leader into comfort, which was why he hadn't been moved.

Now Liao Yan Jiedi still wanted to use the same old tricks, jumping up and down trying to figure out the leader's temper to apply the right remedy; it seemed now that instead of stroking the horse correctly, he had stroked the horse's leg and gotten kicked quite hard.

"Master, why must you be so polite to him?" Ma Baosen looked at his master in bewilderment and said, "You are now the chief secretary of the bureau; no matter what, he wouldn't dare trip you up, nor would he fear you reporting him to the leader."

"Who said I am the chief secretary of the bureau?"

Zhang Enyuan narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at his disciple as he spoke: "Others may say this as a joke, but we cannot take it seriously."

"I am merely here to provide service work for the leader; you hear people calling me 'Director Zhang,' but who knows what they are criticizing behind my back."

He emphasized seriously: "The human heart is most complex; I am not worthy of inspiring fear in others; this respect and status are all given by the leader."

"If we become too arrogant, it will make the leader look incapable of educating his subordinates, and in the end, we will be the ones who suffer."

"So..." Ma Baosen asked hesitantly, "You still intend to be polite to him?"

"Correct, and even more polite than before."

Zhang Enyuan looked at his disciple and spoke seriously: "Learn from me; humility brings no harm, and having one less enemy equals having one less trouble."

"I will never speak ill of anyone before the leader, nor will I speak well of anyone; we must understand propriety."

"Then—" Ma Baosen asked, "What if the leader asks you to speak ill of someone, or to speak well of someone?"

"Heh, you're foolish." Zhang Enyuan reached out and patted the side of his disciple's face, saying, "Even if the leader wants to wield a knife, he won't use me to do it."

"Ah?" Ma Baosen was truly confused.

While the disciple was confused, Zhang Enyuan was perfectly clear; he positioned himself as diligent, steady, and revealing not a shred of sharpness.

There were too many bad people in this bureau, and too many who wanted to voluntarily become the leader's knife; he had already drawn out one snake for the leader, so there was no need to continue getting involved; do more, err more; do less, err less; do nothing, err nothing.

The master and disciple packed the organized blueprints into Meng Meng Yongxiang's boxes, carried them out, and left the Confidential Room; upon returning to the leader's office area, the Secretary-General was still reviewing materials, not even lifting his head when he refilled the tea.

Zhang Enyuan's heart still harbored several parts of unease; he greatly feared the leader would blame him for taking it upon himself to tell Director Liao about the matters from this morning and just now.

Only after leaving the office did he breathe a sigh of relief; it seemed this move had been the right one. When a new official takes office, they must light three fires; someone has to hand the matches to the leader, after all—how could one expect them to endure such toil personally?

Ma Baosen perhaps saw through something; he smiled and raised his eyebrows at his master, only to receive a slap from him in return.

After chasing his disciple away to get back to work, Zhang Enyuan finally adjusted his expression and mindset, walked to the door of Director Liao's office, and gently knocked.

"Director Liao, I—"

As soon as he entered the office, Zhang Enyuan looked at Director Liao with a choked voice, his eyes full of guilt and self-reproach, unable to speak a word.

Liao Jinhui, who had originally been in a fit of anger, upon seeing him like this, hurriedly stood up from his seat, walked to the door to take a look, and only then closed the room door.

"Why have you come?"

Only after asking this sentence did Liao Jinhui realize he had lost his composure; he quickly added, "Doesn't the leader need your help over there?"

"Director Liao, I only just heard—" Zhang Enyuan looked at him with eyes full of bitterness and said in a low voice, "I am truly sorry to you."

"What kind of talk is this—" Even if Liao Jinhui still had anger in his heart, he could not accept Zhang Enyuan's words; saying so would only make him lose more face.

"Sit down and speak." He gently patted Zhang Enyuan's shoulder, gesturing for him to sit, while saying orally, "We are all doing work; what is there to say about being sorry or not sorry?"

"Alas—" Zhang Enyuan let out a deep sigh and said, "It is all my incompetence; if I had dared to advise the leader with just one word, it would not have come to this..."

"Enough with that; it is not as bad as all that."

Liao Jinhui pretended to be magnanimous, glared at him, and looked aside while saying, "Our new leader's temper is indeed severe; this is not your fault."

"However, I must still say one thing to you: you are the leader's secretary; you must do what needs to be done and cannot be timid and hesitant."

He spoke solemnly, "If you cause the leader to lose face, or cause our office to lose face, I will not spare you."

"Yes, yes, I remember." Zhang Enyuan nodded submissively in response, saying, "If there is anything I fail to do, please remind me."

"That still requires you to pay attention yourself."

After Liao Jinhui scolded him a few times, the fire in his heart subsided considerably; what remained was only fear and annoyance toward Li Li Xuewu, while he already looked down on soft eggs Li Kezhang Enyuan.

"Speaking of which, it really is not your fault."

The moment he thought about being scolded by Li Li Xuewu in the office until his face was red, his heart felt as if he had eaten two jin of fly dung.

Seeing Zhang Enyuan light a cigarette for him, he took it readily and spoke with considerable emotion, "It seems there will be no peaceful days ahead."

"Director Liao—" Seeing Liao Jinhui speak this way, Zhang Enyuan looked at him with panic and asked, "Surely it won't happen again..."

"Who knows? Alas—"

Liao Jinhui was truly not intentionally trying to scare Old Zhang; this was the melancholy in his heart. Under successive losses of composure, he had inadvertently revealed his true feelings.

Zhang Enyuan was even older than him; the bitterness on his face did not look feigned, and if it truly was feigned, then his acting skills were simply too good.

"If the leader is this frugal, then what about the other leaders—"

"That is exactly what I am talking about!"

Seeing Old Zhang pierce through this veil of secrecy, Liao Jinhui stopped hiding anything and spoke with a deeply furrowed brow, "How are we supposed to conduct affairs like this?"

"Tell me, if he does not use the reception funds, but other leaders do, then not using them is also wrong; aren't those of us responsible for handling affairs going to be put in a difficult position?"

"Yes, yes." Zhang Enyuan, as if having no idea of his own, merely kept nodding in agreement like someone kowtowing while pounding garlic.

Coincidentally, Liao Jinhui did not need him to make decisions at this moment; he just wanted to vent the bitterness in his heart, and Old Zhang, this silent type, was just right for it.

"Today he does not use reception funds; tomorrow he will be paying for his own meals." Speaking to the point of excitement, Liao Jinhui even wanted to slam the table, but his hand, having reached the desktop, forcibly held back and stopped; he merely complained orally, "Won't the management work of the organ be thrown into chaos afterward?"

"That is true." Zhang Enyuan continued to nod.

"Old Zhang, tell me, is it easy being this Office Director?" As if truly empathized with by Zhang Enyuan, Liao Jinhui pointed at him and asked, "Ever since Factory Director Luo was taken away, Director Yu handed all the work over to me."

"Tell me, from that time until now, even if I have no merit, I must have some hard labor to my credit; is it fair for him to say I am neglecting my duties?"

"Alas—" This time Zhang Enyuan did not nod, but instead let out a long sigh, as if echoing him, yet not quite.

Liao Jinhui did not pay attention, took a hard drag on his cigarette, and said, "Forget it; if one is truly disliked, whatever one does is wrong. If we cannot serve him well, then we simply won't serve; we will just wait to be transferred to the trade union to retire."

"How could it come to that—" Zhang Enyuan spoke excitedly at this point, "If it were not for you, how could our office manage?"

"Old Zhang, the earth turns just fine without anyone." Liao Jinhui exhaled a mouthful of smoke, as if trying to exhale all the depression in his heart.

He looked at Zhang Enyuan and said, "I also know your character; what the leader values in you is precisely this point, so there is no need to be trembling with fear."

"Just do your own work well and do not worry about irrelevant things. After all, he is young; some matters are too rash and impulsive; you should also try to do some work on that front."

Listening to Liao Jinhui as if he were leaving last instructions, Zhang Enyuan had already stood up from his chair and said with a weak voice, "Director Liao—"

"Rest assured, I am fine." Liao Jinhui looked at him with emotion and said, "Only today do I clearly see the coldness and warmth of human relationships; in this office, you, Old Zhang, are the most benevolent, the most honest, and the most loyal."

"It is you who have taken care of me more, Director Liao." Zhang Enyuan said with great gratitude, "If it were not for your care over these years, I would have long since..."

"Ai, let us not speak of it; it is all in the past."

Liao Jinhui also stood up, walked over, patted his arm, and said with a smile, "Work hard, put down your burdens, and enter the battle with a light heart."

"Director Liao, I—" Zhang Enyuan's eyes were full of gratitude; he even squeezed out a few tears, which moved Liao Jinhui considerably.

If it were not for the fact that hugging was not fashionable at this time, the two of them would surely have embraced and patted each other on the back.

After seeing Zhang Enyuan off and returning to his seat, Liao Jinhui tapped the ash from his cigarette with a solemn face; there was not a trace of decadence on his visage.

Even Zhang Enyuan, who had wiped tears from the corner of his eye upon leaving the office, knew clearly in his heart that Liao Jinhui was not someone who would admit defeat.

Despite his pitiful words and claims of nothing but hard labor, having been in the office all these years, how could he not know how many benefits Liao Jinhui had scooped up?

As the Office Director, the great steward of the organ, and with Director Dong having such an easygoing nature, he was only short of squatting on the roof to defecate.

Especially in the last two years, with the group's economic performance being good, Steel City allocated all the surrounding land to the group, and the number of projects breaking ground was countless.

Liao Jinhui was reluctant to let go of even these small expenses for the organ's office; just imagine, could those people coming to seek projects from Director Dong have treated him poorly?

Furthermore, within the organ, from top to bottom, Liao Jinhui was not the only one stretching out his hand; even those factory leaders were not just watching idly.

After the Factory Supply and Marketing Service Department was transferred to the Group Sales General Company, both the variety and quantity of goods improved greatly compared to before. With good items displayed on the counters and internal employees not needing industrial coupons, they were inevitably subject to a frantic rush.

But no matter how frantic the rush, the prices were set there, much higher than the coupon prices outside; how many people could actually afford them?

Then look at those leaders, and cadres like Liao Jinhui; are their homes not fully equipped with everything? One cannot say they live in luxury with fine clothes and delicacies, but their living standards far exceed what cadre salaries alone could provide.

What the Secretary-General previously came to Steel City to handle was merely the tip of the iceberg; with all these projects and undertakings, so many people are reaching out their claws.

Why is it that upon hearing the upper levels planned to send the Secretary-General down to preside over work, these people were both afraid and timid? Isn't it because they have ghosts in their hearts?

Before the New Year, there was an uproar over at the Group; others might not know, but Zhang Enyuan knew clearly that people here in Steel City were also "exerting effort."

Exerting effort at what? Naturally, to stop the Secretary-General from coming down; otherwise, how could there have been so many twists and turns, or talk of arousing the dissatisfaction of other Group leaders?

What was that saying again?

Those who bring calamity upon themselves cannot survive!

Zhang Enyuan emerged from Liao Jinhui's office with a grave expression; wasn't this just about adding fuel to this pile of kindling?

Just as he had said, nothing in this world is more complex than the human heart; with this move of driving the tiger to swallow the wolf, the Secretary-General was likely about to flip the roof off all of Steel City.

"You were the one who contacted Dongfeng Shipping, correct?"

Xu Si raised his wine glass and clinked it against Li Li Xuewu's, raising an eyebrow as he said, "You've really gone and done something incredible; three ten-thousand-ton giant ships."

"How so?" Ji Ji Jiuzheng looked at him and asked, "What is the background of this Dongfeng Shipping? Their scope of business is quite extensive."

Resting his folded arms on the dining table, he said, "Just as we completed the mining transformation over here, they made contact over there."

"No fewer than thirty cargo ships of a thousand tons each, and they are all fast vessels."

Speaking to this point, he raised his eyebrows rather excitedly and said, "From Steel City to Jinmen, there is no place in the Bohaiwan they dare not go."

"What does the Bohaiwan amount to?" Lu Yuanshen picked up the wine pot and poured a cup for Bi Bi Yuding beside him, saying, "They dare to run even further south than that."

As he said this, his gaze drifted toward Li Li Xuewu; everyone knew that Dongfeng Shipping was a unit contacted by the Secretary-General.

Group leaders also have their own connected contacts; possessing resources in this regard equates to holding greater influence within the Group.

For instance, Director Li's network of connections is particularly vast, and he is friends with the top leaders of many affiliated units.

No need to ask; was all that alcohol drunk in vain?

Fair-weather friends are still friends; as long as one establishes a connection, anyone can get things done.

Otherwise, look at when someone encounters a difficult matter and goes to Director Li; he makes a single phone call to the other party's top leader and gets it resolved—can you refuse to accept that?

Besides Director Li, Deputy Director Gao also has many connected contacts, mostly in the trade sector, giving him considerable face within the Group.

Then look at Secretary-General Li Li Xuewu; his are all hard connections, fierce connections. To say nothing else, is the Third Guard Regiment not hard enough? Is the Dongcheng Sub-bureau not fierce enough?

Not counting such connections, the Secretary-General also has many other distribution and local relationships, with Dongfeng Shipping being one of them.

Since Xu Si had brought up the topic himself, he naturally could not let others exploit it; if he truly angered Li Li Xuewu, the loss would outweigh the gain.

He drank the wine in his cup with Li Li Xuewu, then took up the thread of conversation, saying, "When I arrived, the third fifteen-thousand-ton container cargo ship was delivered."

"Mm, they are contacts of the Waishi Force."

Li Li Xuewu gave a vague reply, then turned to look at Ji Ji Jiuzheng and asked, "Is mineral transportation convenient right now?"

Everyone's hearts tightened; only then did they remember that Li Li Xuewu also had several connections within the ministries, such as the Waishi Force, the Investigation Department, and so on, which were even more complex.

No wonder everyone says Li Li Xuewu is a fierce character; if he truly wanted to deal with you, he has plenty of methods.

Ji Ji Jiuzheng's appointment to United Energy was helped along by Li Li Xuewu, and coupled with his unstable position, he dared not bare his teeth at Li Li Xuewu.

Hearing Li Li Xuewu ask about serious work, he put down his chopsticks and gave a very serious answer; though called an answer, it sounded more like a report.

At this moment, no one at the dining table spoke; they exchanged glances with one another, also observing each other's performance.

It now appeared that Old Ji was "obedient"; the Secretary-General asked a gentle question, and he answered so respectfully, truly making it seem legitimate.

Xu Si's eyes darted about; he possessed the most scheming minds of all, listening to Ji Ji Jiuzheng speak on one side while accompanying Li Li Xuewu in drinking on the other.

He knew Li Li Xuewu could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, and everyone present knew it too, so no one at the wine table competed in drinking; what they were drinking to was human sentiment and worldly wisdom.

Once Ji Ji Jiuzheng finished discussing the transportation method combining rail and shipping, he set down his wine cup and waited for Li Li Xuewu to speak.

Lu Yuanshen glanced at him, feeling nothing but contempt in his heart.

If one says Ji Ji Jiuzheng dared not bare his teeth at Li Li Xuewu, then Xu Si's docility seemed somewhat deliberate; weren't the two of them sworn brothers?

"Yingcheng Port District is the Group's future cornucopia." Li Li Xuewu first nodded to Ji Ji Jiuzheng, then swept his gaze across the crowd and said, "How many of our own ships can operate within the port district determines our channel for foreign trade transportation and our voice in contacting international port affairs and shipping."

He tapped his finger on the table and said, "We will build Steel City into an integrated production base; using this as a foundation, we will absorb mineral resources from the entire Northeast for processing and production, then ship them out via Yingcheng Port to sell."

"From the Energy General Corporation to the Transportation Company, and then to the Port Affairs Company, every procedural unit involved in this chain is present here today."

Li Li Xuewu looked at the crowd once more and said, "The reason I am inviting you all to dinner is to gather everyone's hearts together so we can exert effort jointly."

"For anyone present to think of jumping out of the circle to develop independently is unrealistic; not to mention failing to achieve results, you would likely end up with a face full of mud."

The atmosphere suddenly turned serious; just as the wine had circulated three rounds and the dishes five flavors, Li Li Xuewu spoke these words plainly.

What the crowd heard contained threats, temptations, encouragement, and warnings; various flavors churned in their hearts, yet not a single person stood up to oppose him.

First, what Li Li Xuewu said was absolutely correct, a principle everyone knew. Second, Li Li Xuewu offered courtesy before employing force; he did not act immediately upon arrival, showing great propriety.

To put it plainly, this meal was not a Hongmen Banquet, nor was it the Chenqiao Mutiny; Li Li Xuewu never intended to release military power over a cup of wine, he was simply stating the harsh words upfront.

He was already the Group's Secretary-General; one step further would be Deputy Director. He had no need to use the crowd as stepping stones to climb higher, and they were not qualified enough for that anyway.

Even Lu Yuanshen, sitting to the side, felt awkward and found it meaningless; he had figured it out himself: when Li Li Xuewu was in the capital, what kind of people did he scheme against? Did he have that kind of weight?

Figures like Cheng Kaiyuan and Su Weide were nothing to him, so where did he rank? He raised his wine cup and took a sip, yet it tasted entirely bitter.

What the hell was there left to fight over? Even kicking up one's heels to chase, one could not catch up to Li Li Xuewu's figure; having already drunk this wine, if one still failed to recognize the signs of the times, one would become a target.

No, not a target, but a monkey—the monkey warned by killing the chicken.

Just look at the people at this wine table: Xu Si is Li Li Xuewu's sworn brother, Kuang Kuang Yusheng is Li Li Xuewu's old iron, and Xiao Xiao Zihong is a former partner.

Only Bi Bi Yuding has never worked alongside Li Li Xuewu, yet he has received no small amount of help from him; without Li Li Xuewu coordinating in the middle, could he have mastered Red Star Electronics?

Finally, take Kong Xiaobo; this fellow went from Ice Fly Factory to Red Star Factory and was nearly played to death by Li Li Xuewu, hanging between life and death; does he dare to bristle now?

As for Ji Ji Jiuzheng, no need to think about it; he cannot even manage his own little affairs, as seen just now when he nearly knelt down to give his report.

If not for Ji Ji Jiuzheng taking such a stance, would Xu Si have continuously offered toasts, and would the others have been so docile?

If Ji Ji Jiuzheng's attitude today had been ambiguous, he would wager his own head that within a month, Old Ji would definitely be finished.

Whether he could be replaced by one of Li Li Xuewu's people is unclear, but he dares to say that Ji Ji Jiuzheng certainly cannot outplay Li Li Xuewu, nor does he possess Li Li Xuewu's influence within the Group.

Li Li Huai De's decision to leave Li Li Xuewu in Liaodong meant he had already steeled himself; at this juncture, anyone daring to pluck Li Li Xuewu's beard would be no different from seeking death at the hands of Old Zhao Si.

As for himself, although he had managed the Steel City Automobile Manufacturing Plant until it was as tight as an iron bucket, in Li Li Xuewu's eyes, it was full of holes.

The deputy factory director in charge of technology was Xia Xia Zhongquan's disciple, and Xia Xia Zhongquan's own niece was Li Li Xuewu's secretary, who also happened to be the wife of Li Li Xuewu's elder brother's brother-in-law; was this relationship distant? In the workplace, it was not distant at all.

You have to think about it this way: without such close ties, could the two families have become in-laws? Without Li Li Xuewu, who would Xia Xia Zhongquan even know Zhao Zhao Yajun to be?

Furthermore, regarding the automobile manufacturing plant, several projects were established under Li Li Xuewu's guidance and assistance; he simply could not oppose Li Li Xuewu even if he wanted to.

Even among the workers in the factory, Li Li Xuewu's status in their hearts was higher than his own, so what the hell was there left to be stubborn about?

"Let me share another piece of news; it does not concern our group directly, but it is closely related to us, representing a national opportunity for industrial development."

Li Li Xuewu nodded seriously at the dining table and stated, "Just this January, the third phase of the Hebei Province Fertilizer Plant was completed, making it currently the largest nitrogen fertilizer factory in the country with world-advanced standards."

"Also in January, the Chen Jicheng 17 Automobile Manufacturing Plant successfully trial-produced the country's first hydraulic automatic polishing machine with world-advanced standards."

"Still in January, the country successfully trial-produced its first set of medium-caliber rooftop irrigation and drainage equipment with world-advanced standards; Shanghai manufactured a new high-precision grinding and milling machine whose accuracy far exceeds similar foreign products."

"All these breakthroughs in industrial technology occurred in the past January," Li Li Xuewu said, looking at everyone and emphasizing, "Do not be complacent or carried away by success, comrades; while we are running, others are running too."

"What has enabled the group to achieve its development today? It is the result of all cadres and staff working together with one heart, willing to dedicate themselves, seizing opportunities, and sincerely dedicating themselves to the cause."

Nodding here, he paused briefly before continuing, "The Group Management Committee has bound us together not to make dumplings, but to set off fireworks; our goal is to expand the group's business across the entire Northeast and the whole of Northeast Asia."

"I came to Liaodong not to steal anyone's credit, nor to occupy anyone's position; to put it generously, we still have three years, and whatever we accomplish by seizing opportunities in these three years will be our achievement, for such a golden opportunity will not come again afterward."

Moving his wine glass aside, Li Li Xuewu stated solemnly, "Today I will also lay my cards on the table for everyone: three years from now, as long as none of you fall behind, I guarantee each of you a seat on the Management Committee, and it will absolutely be a good one."

"Of course, if three years from now you have not opened branch companies and representative offices in every city of the Northeast, or if our industrial reach has not extended across all of Northeast Asia, then let us stop daydreaming and pack our bags to leave immediately."

Raising his wine glass and looking at everyone, he said, "I, Li Li Xuewu, today take the lead in making this bold promise, counting on all of you to help me realize it; cheers!"

"Cheers—"

?? Liu Lao Wu knows he still owes updates; it's just that recently I have been working on the detailed outline for Volume Three. I attach great importance to Volume Three, so I need to polish it carefully. Once I have finished the detailed outline, I will definitely make up for it; not only will I catch up, but I will also add extra chapters. My word is my bond. Trust my typing speed; updating twenty thousand words a day is no problem.