Chapter 1400: The First Fire

"Director Liao, you look quite spirited today. Did your wife make you something delicious again?"

Zhou Yongyuan, Deputy Li Kezhang of the Finance Division, was passing through the corridor when he happened to see Liao Jinhui coming out of his office.

He was accustomed to buttering people up; even if Liao Jinhui's face were green enough to look like excrement, he would still find a way to praise him. Not to mention that Director Liao currently looked like someone riding the crest of a wave.

That's how things are in the agency: people chase the high and trample the low. You never flatter those in a low position; that's not making friends, that's making enemies.

Regardless of how Liao Jinhui was in the past, and never mind how depressed he was after the new leadership arrived, you only need to look at him now—who would dare offend him?

No one knew what kind of wind blew when the new leader returned to the capital, but why did he suddenly start looking at Liao Jinhui with new eyes?

Could it be that Liao Jinhui still had connections within the Group Corporation? Was there some Group leader who stepped forward to plead his case?

The only person everyone could think of who might have a connection to Liao Jinhui was Deputy Director Dong Wenxue.

He used to be called Director Dong because, at that time, Dong Wenxue was the person in charge of the Smelting Plant and Liaodong Industry; naturally, everyone had to call him Director.

But now that he had been transferred back to the Group, he had to be called Deputy Director Dong. This wasn't demoting the leader; it was the rules.

Don't ask what rules—calling someone by the wrong title just proves you're a workplace novice, and you'll be looked down upon.

It's the same with failing to sort out the relationships within the Group: who belongs to whom, and who has whose connections—all of it must be figured out.

If you go through life muddled, unable to see things clearly after a year or two, you'll realize you're still standing in the same spot after eight or ten years. When you look back, you'll realize how many well-connected people you've offended.

Since Director Liao had turned over a new leaf and was spirited once again, everyone had to give him face and had to flatter and curry favor with him.

It wasn't for anything else; the position of Office Director was simply too special. It produced no tangible results, was exhausting, and required great effort. Capable people didn't want to do it, and incapable people couldn't do it.

But then again, this position was the closest to the leadership and the most likely to gain their trust.

Isn't there a saying that goes: it's hard to get a task done, but it's very simple to "handle" a person.

The Office Director was exactly that kind of unique position. If you offended him, you might as well just wait for your bad luck.

There are only people who steal day and night; there are no people who can guard against thieves every single night. Who knows when he might trip you up in front of the leadership?

Was Liao Jinhui that kind of person?

Does the answer even need asking?

When you saw him being shunned by the leadership, how many people reached out to pull him up? When you saw him looking like he'd lost his parents, who went to comfort him?

The path is walked by oneself. If he had cultivated good karma and reaped good fruit in his past work and life, he wouldn't have ended up with the arrogance and then the fawning flattery of these people in the agency.

Of course, one cannot judge a person one-sidedly, nor can one look only at the surface. If you look at the surface, Director Liao performed better than anyone.

Look at how Zhou Yongyuan took the initiative to greet him—he was so polite, smiling and laughing, with no sign of being sinister or cunning.

Zhou Yongyuan knew exactly how bad this old bastard was; many young people in the agency had tripped up in front of him.

You don't hear about it now, but earlier on, there were many young girls who had just graduated from school, naive and inexperienced, who had been harmed by him. It was just that because their work assignments were good and their lives were well-cared for, they swallowed their pride and blamed their bad luck on being young.

However, an old fox like him knew the principle that there's no smoke without fire, and he had long since seen through the other party.

"Don't talk about me," Liao Jinhui smiled and pointed at the other man. "The smell of the stir-fry from your house drifted all the way to ours the other day. I almost followed it over."

"Your wife tells everyone how hard you work; it's clear you really are working hard."

That's how cadres in the agency are; they always crack jokes with a bit of color. It's for amusement, but also to temper each other, using double entendres.

Let's put it this way: from the moment you enter the unit's gate for work, your brain has to start turning. If you turn it too slowly, you'll suffer, and sooner or later, someone will calculate your demise.

You think about it: out of a hundred young people who enter the agency, why do only five become section chiefs and one become a division chief?

This requires not only strong ability and a solid background, but also a certain level of adaptability and thinking skills.

Zhou Yongyuan felt like cursing inside at the thorns in the other party's words, but he spoke politely: "That's you being polite to me. Next time my wife makes something delicious, I'll bring a bottle of wine over. I won't be as wishy-washy as you."

"Hahaha—" Liao Jinhui laughed and pointed at him. "Fine, I welcome it! But it's a deal: once you're at our place, I won't let you leave until the wine is finished—"

"Done! Then I'll be waiting!"

Zhou Yongyuan raised his eyebrows, leaned close to Liao Jinhui, and said softly: "When will you treat the Secretary-General to a meal?"

"Tsk—" Liao Jinhui tilted his head slightly, looking at Zhou Yongyuan, who had finally shown his true colors, and smiled meaningfully: "Old Zhou, if you want to treat the leader, go treat him yourself—"

He also returned the words Zhou Yongyuan had just used on him: "Don't be so wishy-washy."

"I don't have that kind of standing—"

Zhou Yongyuan flattered him: "Look at your relationship with the leader now; it's not something we can compare to."

He patted Liao Jinhui's arm lightly and said carefully: "Everyone is actually watching, and hoping for it too. We people here still need you, Director Liao, to take the lead."

After finishing, he patted Liao Jinhui's arm again, giving the other party a "you know what I mean" look.

In his eyes was worship for the strong, respect for those in power, and a little bit of self-deprecation and reverence.

Let's put it this way: if an old fox who has been mixing in the agency for a long time performs for you—serving you, flattering you—the average person can't handle it. You say opera actors are captivating with their expressions and movements, able to hook your soul without saying a word? Take a look at these old foxes; their eye movements and linguistic artistry can hook your life.

What life? Political life.

Even an old rascal like Liao Jinhui, who had wandered the world, couldn't quite handle this kind of flattery and fawning. And don't say he couldn't resist a few words of deception; if it were you, you would have already burst out laughing, and the expression on your face would have already sold you out.

Those people who study micro-expressions are purely talking nonsense. No matter how high-level their research is, can it be as rich in practical experience as these people in the agency?

Zhou Yongyuan's flowery words, one after another, were meant to build Liao Jinhui up as the big brother of these cadres in the agency, so he could lead them in attacking Bright Top together.

Liao Jinhui wanted to say a few humble and polite words to push away these things, but Zhou Yongyuan didn't give him the chance. He acted as if he were carrying the expectations and entrustment of many people, with an eagerness as if he were about to drape the yellow robe over him.

Do you think Liao Jinhui doesn't understand the motives of these people, doesn't understand their arrogance before and obsequiousness after, their fawning and sycophancy?

He understood. He even understood that these people were using him, and that not a single word of their flattery was sincere.

But think about it carefully: isn't the workplace just like this? What is there that's worth treating with sincerity?

So the expression on his face gradually softened amidst Zhou Yongyuan's flattery, even carrying a trace of reserved pride and a faint smile.

This complex expression was enough for those actors to study for ten years; the average person really couldn't act out this kind of pride.

"I say, Old Zhou, this matter can't be rushed—"

Liao Jinhui still hadn't figured out why the Secretary-General was reusing him. If others didn't know, didn't he know himself? Where was there any "good big brother" in the Group?

Not to mention the other Group leaders, he only had the acquaintance of meeting them during receptions. Even with Dong Wenxue, with whom he had a working relationship, he wouldn't dare say they had any real friendship.

Dong Wenxue was a very simple person, with a heavy scholarly air, but he also followed principles and had a certain level of cultivation and tolerance.

Serving Dong Wenxue all these years, he had finally figured out this Director Dong's temper: he valued reputation over profit, a typical academic style. He hadn't been tempered or tested at the grassroots level, and had never experienced the poison of conspiracies and schemes.

After the incident with the waiter, Dong Wenxue's only weakness was plugged, and he became much more introverted.

It wasn't that he hadn't thought about befriending this leader, but the two words "reputation" and "profit" were easy to talk about but hard to handle.

The position of Office Director had its profits, and he was someone who dared to give, but Dong Wenxue wasn't someone who dared to receive.

Dong Wenxue only sought reputation; to put it bluntly, he was a bit greedy for greatness and success. He basically didn't ask about how the people below were tossing things around, as long as they didn't go too far; as long as they could get things done, it was fine.

Therefore, the cadres at the Smelting Plant were generally a bit arrogant; they had ability, but also very big tempers.

Dong Wenxue had indeed cultivated a few young people in Liaodong over these years, but he hadn't reused them much. His time was simply too tight, especially in the three years since the Group was formed.

Not cultivating closeness meant that Dong Wenxue didn't have any connections in Liaodong, and Liao Jinhui didn't count either.

The reason Dong Wenxue didn't replace him was simply because he was too lazy to do so. After all, he did his main job well, and even if there were some bad rumors, there was nothing concrete.

As long as someone reported him, Dong Wenxue would definitely deal with him seriously, but who told him to have such high-level methods?

Dong Wenxue didn't replace him when he left, but that didn't mean he appreciated him or would protect him.

Perhaps he was leaving him for the new leader to test, or even replace. Everyone knew the relationship between Dong Wenxue and Li Xuewu; the two were considered part of the Group's first-tier inner circle.

What baffled Liao Jinhui was that Li Xuewu clearly looked like he was going to replace him, yet he started using him again after returning from his vacation in the capital.

You can't blame him for being confused; the work Li Xuewu handed to him was simply too important. If there wasn't a relationship of trust, he would never have arranged it like this. How could this not make him let his imagination run wild?

Could it be that the Secretary-General had grasped some situation of his? Or did Dong Wenxue give his situation to Li Xuewu?

This was a blessing or a curse that was hard to predict. If the leader grasped his situation, he could trust him, or he could manipulate him.

But in this way, he also became a puppet on a string, with no freedom at all.

If you think about it the other way, Li Xuewu already had the momentum to soar into the sky. If he performed actively, and if he happened to catch Li Xuewu's eye, those messy things wouldn't be issues anymore.

He had seen it clearly for so many years: if the leader says it's a problem, it's a problem; if the leader says it's not a problem, then it's not a problem. Whether he could continue to do this job all depended on a single word from Li Xuewu.

He wasn't sure what kind of relationship or connection he had with Li Xuewu, and it was even less likely that anyone would speak up for him.

Therefore, regardless of whether Zhou Yongyuan represented certain people to push him to flatter the leader and form a new inner circle, or if Zhou Yongyuan was playing dirty to trap him, he couldn't be anxious.

Steady and solid, do the work in his hands well first, don't let the leader pick out any faults, and then think about other things.

He hadn't even figured out his own affairs, so how could he care about others? Therefore, he couldn't agree to Zhou Yongyuan's request.

"How about this, you also know that the work in my hands is quite urgent. Let's wait until I'm done with this busy period."

Liao Jinhui didn't want to give up on Zhou Yongyuan and these people, because he felt that he could get through this difficult pass, and he still had to climb higher in the future. One more step and he would be the Deputy Director of the Smelting Plant.

The process of the Group's transformation was being pushed forward, and the professional management team was transitioning. In the future, he would be a Deputy Factory Director. How could one do management without one's own sphere of influence?

Relationships were accumulated step by step. He didn't care what Zhou Yongyuan was thinking right now; as long as the person could be used, it was fine. When they couldn't be used, he would just throw them out to take the blame. Wasn't that how everyone did it from top to bottom? He had long been familiar with this set of rules.

"Understood, understood." Zhou Yongyuan looked at him with envy and said: "In the future, we'll all be counting on you, Director Liao, to lead and support us. You must never look down on us."

Look at how Zhou Yongyuan said this—he kept saying "we," but who exactly was "we"? He didn't name a single person.

Empty and hollow, not a single word of truth.

Liao Jinhui was the same kind of person. Seeing him being hollow, he also nodded politely, saying that there was no need for that between comrades.

Just as they were exchanging pleasantries, Ma Baosen from the office came out of Deputy Director Yin Zhongyao's office. Seeing them over there, he walked over quickly.

"Director Liao, Deputy Director Yin is looking for you."

Ma Baosen was that apprentice of Zhang Enyuan. The two of them went together to help the new leader, and his master became the new leader's secretary. He also borrowed the light and became a popular figure in the section; the average person didn't dare offend him.

When one person achieves the Dao, their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

Ma Baosen was the chicken/dog that ascended with his master. He didn't care about the sour words of those people behind his back; he had remembered his master's instructions to keep a low profile.

Therefore, those who were waiting to see him make a fool of himself were disappointed, their eyes full of disappointment and regret.

Young and infinitely glorious—shouldn't he be a bit arrogant now that he had achieved his ambition? At the very least, he should borrow his master's light to show off his power and return the bullying he had suffered before.

As long as Ma Baosen dared to do so, those people who loved to watch the excitement would dare to distort, process, and spread the story.

It wasn't for anything else; they just couldn't stand to see Ma Baosen and his master doing well. Why should Zhang Enyuan be the one riding the crest of a wave?

If they could dirty Ma Baosen, they would have a chance to pull Zhang Enyuan down, and then everyone could watch the excitement of the master and apprentice together.

What could these people gain?

Nothing, they couldn't gain anything, but they could reap the joy of doing bad things.

Ma Baosen had long since secretly observed the faces of these people; how could he fall into their trap? He was very cautious.

Look, he went to Deputy Director Yin's office to deliver documents and was ordered by the leader to call someone. His posture was quite sufficient.

From the moment he saw Liao Jinhui, the expression on his face was blank and serious. He walked over quickly but didn't look flustered, showing only a responsible attitude toward the leader's instructions and an eager mindset to pass the message to Director Liao.

Liao Jinhui had been observing the master and apprentice. Zhang Enyuan had become an old turtle; after standing firm, he never had any private contact with anyone in the agency office.

If you invited him to dinner, he always had one excuse: the leader is busy.

Yes, the leader is busy, so where would he find the time to come out for dinner? Whose invitation could be bigger than the leader's?

Not accepting invitations was one thing, but he even avoided accepting holiday gifts. He had long since told his family that he wouldn't let them accept even a single matchstick; he was determined to be absolute.

Judging from the Secretary-General's style of doing things and his attitude toward life, he wasn't someone who liked to receive gifts either, so Zhang Enyuan followed suit, wanting to be in sync with the leader.

Liao Jinhui couldn't calculate Zhang Enyuan, so he set his sights on Ma Baosen, wanting to find a breakthrough.

He didn't know how many young people like this he had fooled and toyed with. Young and hot-blooded, praise them a few times, give them a little sweetness, and they wouldn't know their own weight.

"Baosen, did Deputy Director Yin say what he wanted me for?"

Liao Jinhui's words were tricky, but his tone was very friendly. Someone who didn't know better would have thought he was talking to a nephew.

He had been like this recently, and Ma Baosen was very uncomfortable, always feeling like there was a fishbone in his throat.

However, he had also learned a trick or two from his master. When facing this kind of old bastard, if he couldn't hide the expression on his face, he would lower his head in a respectful manner so the other party couldn't see his face.

Hmm, his master said this trick was called "having no face."

His master said that with his level, he would be seen through by the other party in less than three sentences, even down to what he had for breakfast.

So when Liao Jinhui asked, Ma Baosen humbly lowered his head and responded: "This... the leader didn't tell me."

Hehe—

Zhou Yongyuan stood to the side and the more he looked at this kid, the more interesting he found him. Zhang Enyuan knew how to teach an apprentice; this answer was truly wonderful.

Liao Jinhui was a leader. No matter how he answered any question he asked him, he would fall into a trap. It was either denying Director Liao or offending Deputy Director Yin; there were pits in front and behind.

And the result? He came out with that sentence.

Yes, the leader didn't tell him. Who was he? Did the leader need to tell him if he had something to do with the Office Director?

This also choked Liao Jinhui quite a bit. It seemed as if he were saying, "Are you crazy? How could you ask that?"

This wasn't Liao Jinhui being crazy; he had been testing this kid all along, because he felt that this kid wasn't honest either.

Same style as his master; sooner or later, he would be a disaster.

"Then—Old Zhou, you go do your work. Let's talk about our affairs later. Deputy Director Yin's side—"

He stopped paying attention to Ma Baosen, turned back to Zhou Yongyuan, who was watching the excitement from the side, smiled, and said a polite word.

Zhou Yongyuan nodded repeatedly and said: "You go do your work. I'll make an appointment with you later. The leader's affairs are urgent."

Liao Jinhui didn't stand on ceremony with him anymore, glanced at Ma Baosen, who was still standing to the side with his head lowered, and headed toward Deputy Director Yin Zhongyao's office.

Zhou Yongyuan looked at Liao Jinhui's departing back, raised his eyebrows, then looked at Ma Baosen, who was peeking up, and couldn't help but grin: This kid is really interesting!

Ma Baosen finally couldn't hold back. He only turned his head to glance at Director Liao's back before he was caught red-handed by the Deputy Li Kezhang. He didn't hear the sound of the leader leaving, and he was curious, but when he looked up, he saw the Deputy Li Kezhang smiling at him. That smile looked like... a fox!

Dong dong—

Liao Jinhui knocked on the office door, a humble smile etched on his face.

Hmm, just like Zhou Yongyuan just now.

Basically everyone in the agency had a mask like this; it wasn't Zhou Yongyuan's patent, and he wasn't the only one who owned one.

"Deputy Director Yin, you were looking for me."

"Hmm, Comrade Jinhui, come in."

Yin Zhongyao didn't know if he was really busy or just pretending. Hearing his knock, he raised his head from a pile of documents. His gaze came from the upper rim of his far-sighted glasses, very serious.

He pointed to the seat opposite his desk and said to Liao Jinhui: "Make your own tea."

Everything a leader says has a purpose. His hand was clearly pointing to the seat opposite, but his mouth was saying "make your own tea."

So what did that mean? Was he asking him to make his own tea, or was he asking him to sit down first and listen to the leader speak?

The answer was very simple. Liao Jinhui made the correct choice. What qualification did he have to sit opposite Yin Zhongyao and drink tea, and even less qualification to let the leader wait for him in the midst of his busy schedule?

So he hurried forward a few steps, holding his notebook, bowed slightly, and said: "Thank you, Deputy Director Yin. I'm not thirsty. Please feel free to instruct me."

Only when he saw Yin Zhongyao wave his hand at him again did he sit down on half the chair with his buttocks, his body stiff as a board, not daring to sit down fully.

Yin Zhongyao took off his large-framed glasses, raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, and said: "I'm old, useless. Even my eyesight can't keep up. My eyes get blurry after looking at documents for a while. I have to wear glasses."

"How could that be? If you say you're old, then none of us should work." Liao Jinhui bowed his body forward slightly and said: "You look even younger than me."

"Heh—" Yin Zhongyao was very receptive to his flattering attitude and flattery, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He picked up his teacup to cover it slightly, looked at the other party, and asked: "What year did you come to the Smelting Plant?"

Hearing Yin Zhongyao ask this, Liao Jinhui's heart skipped a beat. This question was almost a sign; every time a leader asked this question with concern, the answer was about to come out.

It was either a promotion or an adjustment.

Liao Jinhui's hand holding the notebook began to tremble. He had been wondering what Yin Zhongyao wanted him for. This was offering a seat, offering tea—this politeness was too fake.

Furthermore, Yin Zhongyao was in charge of the Smelting Plant's organizational and personnel work. Talking to him must have a purpose.

Thinking back on his recent performance, how could he have advanced? Even if it were an advancement, it shouldn't be Yin Zhongyao having an organizational talk with him; the Secretary-General was still there.

Not to mention that his heart had gone cold, he still had to pretend to be calm and answer Yin Zhongyao's question, while Yin Zhongyao had been observing the changes in his expression all along.

The rules of the game in the agency: big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp.

Liao Jinhui could be overbearing in front of Zhou Yongyuan and Ma Baosen, but in front of Yin Zhongyao, he became the one who was servile. It wasn't that he had no backbone, but that he had no confidence.

Cadres of this era generally had a sense of righteousness; they were good at work and ideological education, but there were rotten grains in the sesame pile, which was unavoidable.

Liao Jinhui didn't even notice the beads of sweat on his forehead. It was early spring; how could it be hot?

"I believe you should have also realized the Secretary-General's emphasis on the Smelting Plant and Liaodong industrial work."

Yin Zhongyao went around in circles, fully displaying the posture of a cat playing with a mouse. After enjoying the bad taste of being high above, he put down his teacup and brought the topic to the right track.

At this moment, Liao Jinhui, full of anxiety and unease, gripped his hands tightly, looking straight at the other party like a sinner waiting for judgment, hoping to hear good news from the other party's mouth.

But Yin Zhongyao disappointed him. If he were the one to talk to Liao Jinhui, what good news could it be? If there really were good news, the Secretary-General should have talked to the other party personally.

Since it had come to this, Yin Zhongyao didn't speak vaguely anymore, his tone becoming serious: "The Secretary-General talked to me this morning about personnel arrangements."

"Deputy Director Yin—" Liao Jinhui was already panicked; the expectation and belief that he would be reused by the Secretary-General collapsed directly.

Yin Zhongyao glanced at him, picked up his teacup, and took a sip, giving the other party time to organize his emotions.

Liao Jinhui was already in this state; did he still need the time it took for him to take a sip of tea to put on an act?

He only hoped that Yin Zhongyao would tell him the Secretary-General's judgment on him sooner, and where he would go from here.

"The Secretary-General still trusts you."

Yin Zhongyao suddenly said this, especially observing his expression carefully while saying it.

Liao Jinhui was clearly stunned, then frowned slightly, and quickly smoothed it out under the norms of professional quality.

He had no qualification to frown in front of the leader, but while the frown on his face was smoothed out, the frown in his heart was still there.

He didn't understand the meaning of Deputy Director Yin's words. What did it mean that the Secretary-General still trusted him?

Yin Zhongyao didn't get the answer he wanted, so he didn't test him anymore and said bluntly: "The Secretary-General intends to adjust the structure of the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office."

Hearing this, Liao Jinhui was even more confused. What did the Secretary-General's intention to adjust the structure of the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office have to do with him... Wait! It had to do with him!

Habits really kill people. He had forgotten that he still held the position of Director of the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office; this was given to him by Dong Wenxue.

You can't blame Liao Jinhui for forgetting this; it was really because everyone hadn't taken this office seriously before.

Let's put it this way: Dong Wenxue's management of the Group's various industrial enterprises in Liaodong wasn't that comprehensive before, and he hadn't even fully controlled these people in charge.

Even the position of Deputy Director of the Group Management Committee was only obtained by Dong Wenxue in the first half of his third year working in the Steel City. But at that time, most of the other industrial heads were already in their positions and had no respect for him.

Saying that Dong Wenxue integrated the Group's industrial resources in Liaodong was better described as the Group's management pressing down, forcing these people to obey Dong Wenxue's management to execute the Group's deployment and arrangements.

There were really not many instances of issuing orders to various branch enterprises with the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office as the management subject in the true sense, and they were all face-saving projects.

A plate of loose sand, each doing things their own way—that was the state of the Group's industrial development in Liaodong before.

Dong Wenxue had no way to deal with this point either. He was just a Deputy Division Chief when he came to the Steel City to take over the mess. It goes without saying how difficult it was, and he only managed to reach the Division Chief level by relying on this momentum.

After working for two more years, the Smelting Plant integrated foreign resources to form the Metallurgical Plant. Dong Wenxue paid a lot, and supported and helped other industrial enterprises of the Group to gain a foothold and develop in the Steel City. Only then did he have the opportunity to go from Division Chief to Deputy Bureau Chief last year.

Even this opportunity had to count the credit of the Rolling Mill achieving the Group's process; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the chance.

Dong Wenxue was young, but his methods were soft. He couldn't reach the Yingcheng Shipbuilding and Fengcheng Machinery in the north and south, and had nowhere to start with units like the Steel City Rolling Mill that were under construction.

The Hardware Factory was still okay; after all, it was created and established from the Smelting Plant and had a certain foundation. As for factories like Steel City Automobile and Steel City Electronics, their personnel configuration and worker structure were not within the Steel City's influence from the beginning. Dong Wenxue was a bit too busy to handle it.

It was also from that time that the concept of the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office appeared, but it was also from that time that the Group's industrial enterprises in Liaodong developed into a plate of loose sand, getting out of control.

Anyway, until Dong Wenxue left, this mess hadn't been sorted out. The members of the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office were mostly staff from the Metallurgical Plant Office, and those who were added were just contact personnel from other enterprises' offices hanging their names here.

Every time the Group had a task to hand down, they would use the seal of the level that was supposed to issue it.

If it was a task for the Metallurgical Plant, they would use the name of the Metallurgical Plant Office. If it was for all factories or other industrial enterprises, they would use the seal of the Leadership Group Office—the difference between one team and two plaques.

But from Yin Zhongyao's words, he could hear that the Secretary-General was going to rectify the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office? Was he going to re-establish authority at this level?

But how could there be no him at this time!

It was truly a grievance. He had carried the identity of the Director of this Leadership Group Office for nearly two years. He hadn't taken it seriously before, only feeling it was a burden, just an extra chore.

Now he couldn't accept it. It was as if the pig he had raised for many years was about to be slaughtered, but he was told there was no share for him.

"The matter is just this matter, and the situation is just this situation." Yin Zhongyao was accustomed to playing dirty. At this moment, he started to bring private goods into his speech: "The Secretary-General's opinion is to understand your hard work and let you focus on the business of the Metallurgical Plant Office. The Leadership Group Office needs to be rectified and built."

"Yes... yes..." Liao Jinhui hesitated for a long time but didn't ask. He already knew the answer.

On February 26, 1969, the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office issued a notice: Liao Jinhui was removed from the position of Director of the Leadership Group Office, and his concurrent positions in other industrial enterprise offices were removed.

Hearing this news, everyone's expression shook. It looked like the Secretary-General's long-awaited first fire was about to burn?

That's not right; had it not already started burning?

Everyone was guessing and whispering; they really couldn't understand the Secretary-General's routine for doing things.

They also never expected that the Secretary-General would start from this empty shell of the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office.

But from February 26th, this empty shell wasn't empty anymore.

Anyone could see that in the future, the Secretary-General would manage the various industrial enterprises of the Group in Liaodong in the capacity of the Leader of the Industrial Leadership Group, and would also issue orders to these enterprises in this capacity.

The name is not right, the words are not smooth. It was inappropriate for Li Xuewu to manage Liaodong enterprises in the capacity of the Group's Secretary-General, and even more inappropriate in the capacity of the Director of the Metallurgical Plant Management Committee.

But it was most appropriate to issue orders to these industrial enterprises in the capacity of the Leader of the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group.

You won't listen to orders? Then his identity as Secretary-General would be useful. This move was open and aboveboard, with infinite power.

However, it seemed the Secretary-General's style of doing things was just this.

Just looking at those two Deputy Directors Yang returning from the capital and doing things obediently, not daring to show their heads anymore, one could see how high-level the Secretary-General's methods were.

You couldn't beat me when I was open and aboveboard, and you still want to play dirty with me?

The identity problem was solved, and the next step was to set the rules. After all, without rules, there is no square.

Looking at it this way, the Secretary-General arranging for Liao Jinhui to prepare and write the implementation plan for the next three years was like a joke.

Because this plan must be aimed at the entire Group's industrial enterprises in Liaodong, and must be issued in the name of the Leadership Group Office. But Liao Jinhui was no longer the Director of this Group's office, so he couldn't issue a fart.

The most awkward person now was Liao Jinhui. He couldn't not complete the task given by the leader, but he also knew that the leader hadn't counted on him to complete it at all, as if he were deliberately playing with him.

But could he go and question Li Xuewu?

In the removal notice on the 26th, besides Liao Jinhui, the Director of the Office, being removed, the others in the Leadership Group Office were also removed and cleared out.

This was truly a joke. There wasn't a single person left in the Leadership Group Office to do the work, so where did this notice come from?

On February 27th, the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office issued another notice:

Zhang Jing was appointed as the Director of the Group's Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office, and Zhang Enyuan was appointed as the Deputy Director of the Leadership Group Office.

A list of the group's staff was attached.

It was complete; the empty shell that everyone was watching as a joke was filled.

Along with the notice of the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office, the organizational and personnel notice of the Metallurgical Plant's Organization Division was issued in the Metallurgical Plant:

Zhang Jing was removed from the position of Deputy Director of the Red Star Steel City Metallurgical Plant Office.

Sun Jia was appointed as the Deputy Director of the Red Star Steel City Metallurgical Plant Office.

One removal and one appointment directly changed the organizational structure of the Leadership Group Office and the Metallurgical Plant Management Office.

Li Xuewu's continuous big moves over the past two days made the Metallurgical Plant and other industrial enterprises dazzled and inexplicably anxious.

Although they weren't as ashen-faced as Liao Jinhui, they didn't have any good expressions either.

The Secretary-General was finally going to use the knife, and he was forcing Liao Jinhui to run in front, lifting the curtain on their necks so that the Secretary-General's knife could cut down more accurately.

Interested people had already studied the list of office personnel announced by the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group Office.

There was no need to mention the Director, Zhang Jing. He was Dong Wenxue's first secretary when he came to the Steel City, definitely the Secretary-General's own person.

There was even less need to mention the Deputy Director, Zhang Enyuan. He was the Secretary-General's current secretary. His concurrent position as Deputy Director was to better convey the leader's instructions and cooperate well with Zhang Jing's work.

The members of the office included Liu Yao, Shangguan Qi, Zhao Hongtu, Zhang Suqiu, Xu Ning, Zhou Peilan, Li Muqin, Wang Min, Zhou Linghua, and Ma Baosen.

The name Liu Yao was not unfamiliar; he was the person in charge of the Vehicle Engineering Research Institute of the Group's Science and Technology Research Institute.

Following this line, the others could also be matched:

Shangguan Qi, engineer at the Aircraft Research Institute of the Science and Technology Research Institute, person in charge of the drone project.

Zhao Hongtu, engineer at the Ship Engineering Research Institute of the Science and Technology Research Institute, Li Kezhang of the Technology Section of Yingcheng Shipbuilding.

Zhang Suqiu, engineer at the Electronic Engineering Research Institute of the Science and Technology Research Institute, Deputy Director in charge of technology at Steel City Electronics.

Xu Ning, Deputy General Manager of the Energy General Corporation, the Secretary-General's former colleague in the Security Division.

These people with names and titles could naturally be found in newspapers or unit contact books, but who were the others?

Besides the strange name of Ma Baosen who had mixed into the team, who were Zhou Peilan, Li Muqin, Wang Min, and Zhou Linghua?

"Hello, Leader. I am Zhou Peilan." A girl with double ponytails introduced herself briskly: "Graduated from the English Department of Huaqing, worked in the Group Management Committee Office, Foreign Affairs Office, and Trade Management Center. Now reporting to you."

As soon as her voice fell, another young man with round-framed glasses took over and introduced himself.

"Hello, Leader. I am Li Muqin, graduated from the Mechanical Department of the Iron and Steel Institute, worked in the Group Design Division and Research Institute. Now reporting to you."

"Hello, Leader. I am Wang Min, graduated from the Engineering Department of Huaqing, worked in the Group Engineering Division and Construction Engineering General Corporation. Now reporting to you."

"Hello, Leader. I am Zhou Linghua, graduated from the Electromechanical Department of Huaqing, worked in the Group Science and Technology Research Institute and Steel City Electronics. Now reporting to you."

Four people in a row had introduced themselves. Ma Baosen, standing at the very end, looked at his master and then at Director Zhang Jing, not knowing whether he should follow suit.

But the inertia of the collective was immense. He hadn't even decided whether to follow the formation, but his mouth had already followed.

"Hello, Leader. I am Ma Baosen, graduated from Steel City No. 3 Middle School, worked in..."

He only said half of this sentence before his master glared at him, and Director Zhang Jing turned his head away as if he were about to laugh?

Looking at the surprised gazes of the other four young people standing with him, he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. What had he just said—

The good formation was ruined right at him!

Perhaps afraid that the leader would blame him, and Zhang Enyuan couldn't bear to see his apprentice being reprimanded, he took the initiative to explain: "Ma Baosen is responsible for logistics support work in the office."

Look at that; he really was a good master. Service, odd jobs, running errands—once described with a different word, it sounded high-end.

Even Zhou Peilan and the others looked at Ma Baosen with much more normal gazes. How could a team not have logistics?

Let's put it this way: who pours the hot water in the office? Who distributes the documents? Who organizes the materials...

The four of them came from various majors and were summoned back to the capital by the Group for a meeting. Only when Deputy Secretary-General Bu Qingfang personally talked to them did they know how lucky they were.

That's right, being selected by the Deputy Secretary-General and assigned to the Liaodong Industrial Leadership Group to follow the Secretary-General's arrangements and instructions—having already worked for two years, they naturally knew what this meant.

Rushing over from the capital without stopping, their hearts were surging with excitement; they were going to follow the Secretary-General to achieve a great cause.

The Secretary-General was the role model for the Group's young people, the flag-bearer for the youth. How honored they were to have this opportunity.

So standing in the Secretary-General's office, even their self-introductions carried an impassioned tone. They felt very close to the logistics personnel who had mixed into the team.

This was a member of the future team!

This is the good thing about young people forming a team: they haven't formed a mentality of exclusion, they are single-mindedly upward, don't discriminate against any teammates, and can cooperate and help each other more actively.

Li Xuewu wanted to use young people, but he wouldn't rely on them too much. He had long since thought about the main members of the Leadership Group Office, which were the main forces at the technical level.

Liu Yao, Shangguan Qi, and others could provide him with judgments and opinions at the technical level, while Zhou Peilan, Li Muqin, and the other four could fully understand his instructions and execute tasks in a targeted manner.

As for Ma Baosen... his work was also very important. Li Xuewu didn't blame Zhang Enyuan for bringing private goods.

People will have selfishness; who doesn't? ===== CHAPTER 1401 =====