Chapter 1413: A blessing, not a curse

"Is the family business mostly finished?"

Li Huai De received Li Xuewu in the lounge next to his office; it wasn't deliberate, nor was it special.

Zhu Xiaolin, director of the Capital Chemical Plant, and Bai Changmin, deputy director of the plant, had just left from here. Li Xuewu had also met them downstairs and exchanged pleasantries for a while.

Speaking of which, Capital Chemical was among the first to launch joint tertiary industry cooperation with the Red Star Plant, and cooperation in the field of automotive parts, especially plastics and other chemical fields, was very extensive.

In subsequent development cooperation, the Red Star Plant went all the way with sparks and lightning, achieving takeoff in both industrial and economic work.

Originally, Capital Chemical, which had the most strength in the North China region, found it difficult to compare with the Red Star Plant in terms of development speed.

Of course, these were subjective assumptions, even a kind of illusion. The scale of Capital Chemical was absolutely not something the Red Star Plant could catch up to within three to five years. This had nothing to do with the degree of effort; it was determined by development history and industry characteristics.

Just say, in the chemical field, who else in the North China region could compete with Capital Chemical for resources? Looking at it from the other side, the Red Star Plant was not the strongest existence in the North China region in either the metallurgical industry or the steel rolling industry.

Originally, the country's accumulation in the steel industry was broader than in the chemical industry, and the resources of the northern chemical industry were relatively concentrated, so Capital Chemical's strength was quite solid.

Zhu Xiaolin, as the helmsman of Capital Chemical, had achieved a ceiling breakthrough compared to Old Li long ago, and even the time he had been riding in a large Red Flag car was several months earlier than Old Li's.

But he didn't have Old Li's good fortune. Logically speaking, Capital Chemical was more qualified and capable of forming a group company than the Red Star Plant, but Zhu Xiaolin hadn't thought about this before.

Perhaps he had thought about it secretly, and later abandoned this seemingly impossible idea, so when he saw the Red Star Plant passing through obstacles and about to be promoted to a group-type enterprise, he was sour and regretted it, and came to Old Li to learn from his experience.

Damn it, if he had known that applying for a group-type enterprise was so easy, he wouldn't have delayed for so many years.

Not to mention the freedom in management, economy, personnel, and other work after the factory achieved group-type enterprise transformation, just the title alone made him feel aggrieved for his past years.

Listen to this: Capital Chemical Plant's Zhu Xiaolin, Red Star Steel Group's Li Huai De... If the two of them sat together at a meeting, he would feel his status wasn't as high as Old Li's.

"Hmm, thank you." Li Xuewu didn't rush to answer Old Li's question, but sat on the sofa to the side under his signal, and thanked the secretary who brought him tea.

The secretary said "dare not" nervously, looked at Li Huai De, and then took a step back and went out.

"Not as useful as Haiyang." Li Huai De saw Li Xuewu's gaze follow the secretary as he left, picked up the teacup on the tea table, took a sip, and said, "You can be considered to have taken away my pillar."

"It's time to give Deputy Factory Director Li opportunities for training and development. If he stays under your hand, he will be delayed."

Let's put it this way: those who dare to talk to Li Huai De like this in the whole group can be counted on one's fingers. Li Xuewu can be considered the boldest one.

The key is that Li Huai De doesn't get angry at anything Li Xuewu says, just smiles helplessly.

"I just wanted to tell you, my brother-in-law, young people are two different people before and after marriage."

Li Xuewu put the notebook in his hand to the side and said with a smile, "So young people still have to experience things and be tempered more, so that they can increase their knowledge and learn new skills."

"I think Comrade Liu Bin is not bad."

He gestured outside the door and said, "The young man looks spirited. After training and tempering under you for two more years, he will be another good material."

"I'm not as good as you at training young people." Li Huai De laughed and sighed, "I asked Haiyang where he wanted to go for training, and he said he wanted to go to Liaodong without even thinking."

"I asked him why he wanted to go to Liaodong, can you guess what he said?" Without waiting for Li Xuewu to answer, Old Li said with some jealousy, "He told me he wanted to go to Liaodong to learn more from you for a few years."

"Hehe, Deputy Factory Director Li is probably anxious to go out and afraid you won't agree, so he used me as a cover."

Li Xuewu smiled modestly and said, "Following me doesn't have as many opportunities to learn as following you."

"Forget it, let him go if he wants to."

Old Li nodded with emotion and said, "At his age and seniority, it's time for him to go down and be tempered."

"Just like you said, if he doesn't go down now, he won't be able to go down later. His age will exceed the limit."

He picked up the teacup and took another sip, then looked at Li Xuewu and said, "However, I have to remind you of one thing: Comrade Haiyang has some talent, but his thinking is a bit naive."

Especially, as if he was very worried about his secretary, Li Huai De emphasized, "You must teach him well."

"Whether it's the group's Liaodong Industrial Management Group or the Metallurgical Plant, they are all strictly following your work ideas and management policies, strictly observing the organizational ecological concept of unity and progress." Li Xuewu answered very earnestly, "I believe Comrade Li Haiyang will quickly integrate into the collective of the Metallurgical Plant."

How beautiful these words are. What Old Li's intentions are can be described as Sima Zhao's heart, known to everyone on the road.

He said he asked Li Haiyang where he wanted to go. Who knows if he asked him? Furthermore, even if he asked him, does Li Haiyang's answer count? What if he had some hints?

Not credible, don't fully believe it. You only need to listen to one-third of Old Li's words, and you can just treat the rest as him farting.

Of course, Li Xuewu also knows what kind of person he is. He has absolutely no intention of mocking or ridiculing Old Li. He himself can't even believe a punctuation mark in what he says, so he has no reason to laugh at Old Li.

Regardless of Li Haiyang's purpose in going to Liaodong and the Steel City Metallurgical Plant, Li Xuewu just needs to treat it as unknown and be actively downward.

With such a big stall, if it were all handed over to Li Xuewu to do as he pleased, do you think Old Li could rest assured?

Actually, it's good that Li Haiyang went to the Metallurgical Plant; at least this person has ability and performs very maturely.

Old Li said his secretary's thinking was naive. No need to think, this is modesty or it is indeed the case. If you want to make a judgment, you still have to rely on your own experience.

Being able to serve as a deputy factory director in the Metallurgical Plant, standing from Old Li's perspective, one can say his thinking is naive; standing from other people's perspectives, one absolutely cannot consider it that way.

Actually, Li Xuewu didn't think much about being evasive with Old Li. This was originally a matter of mutual understanding.

Skipping this topic in two or three sentences, Li Xuewu first asked Old Li, "Did Director Zhu and the others come... for the sake of group-type enterprise matters?"

"Hmm." Old Li raised his head meaningfully, crossed his right leg, and said, "Capital Chemical has already started organizational asset restructuring work."

"This speed is fast enough—"

Li Xuewu expressed some surprise and said, "If according to Capital Chemical's scale and work efficiency, then in the second half of this year..."

"Not necessarily. Their scale is large, but their body is heavy." Old Li curled his lips, shook his head slightly, and said, "This is hard to say."

"Then what does Director Zhu mean?"

Li Xuewu keenly observed something from Old Li's face and asked meaningfully, "It shouldn't be that he just came to ask you for work experience, right?"

Li Huai De looked at him deeply, then put down his right leg, sat up straight, pondered for a moment, and said, "He wants to engage in a joint-stock joint operation system."

"Taking such a big step?" Li Xuewu was truly surprised this time, looked at Old Li, and asked, "Aren't they afraid of tearing their balls?"

"Hmm, the situation inside is a bit special." Old Li nodded and said, "It's not that there is no precedent for engaging in joint-stock joint operation enterprises. There is more than one Sino-Polish company that is a Sino-foreign joint venture. You know this."

"But the nature of enterprises like the Sino-Polish company is very special after all, and it is absolutely not something Capital Chemical should refer to and compare with now." Li Xuewu frowned slightly and emphasized, "Are they trying to achieve overtaking on a bend?"

"This metaphor of yours is a bit interesting." Li Huai De looked at him unexpectedly, nodded, and said, "Zhu Xiaolin is a bit anxious."

"I don't think their chances of realizing their wish are high." Li Xuewu's words still had room, but the certainty in his tone was unquestionable.

He crossed his right leg, spread his hands, and said, "He saw the convenience and superiority of the group's several key projects in cooperation with foreign capital."

"That's why he thought so." Old Li added this sentence, then picked up his teacup, shook his head, and said with a smile, "Otherwise, I would say he is anxious."

"This shouldn't be. Even if he is anxious, if there is no policy support, no matter how anxious he is, it's just wishful thinking." Li Xuewu looked at Old Li and asked, "Is there any wind coming down from above that I don't know about?"

"Hehehe—" Li Huai De looked at him with a light laugh and said, "They all say your vision is sharp, and it's true."

He held the sofa armrest, stood up, walked around the lounge twice, then turned back to look at Li Xuewu and said, "You should know that the ninth meeting will be held above in April, right?"

Without waiting for Li Xuewu to answer, he continued, "The main content to be discussed at this meeting has already come out: it is to further systematize and regularize the theory and practice of the university activity."

Li Huai De walked to the side of the sofa and sat down again, looking at Li Xuewu earnestly, and said, "Since the second half of last year, the domestic situation has been relatively stable. The meaning above is to seize the opportunity to start restoring the work of various major industrial departments and other comprehensive economic departments, and strengthen the planned management of the economy."

Li Xuewu could understand this sentence of Old Li's. It was something he could clearly feel himself: since this year, the national economy had recovered.

This was a good thing, and it was also the self-adjustment attribute of economic development.

Li Huai De saw that Li Xuewu didn't nod, so he knew he had heard it clearly and understood it, so he didn't stop and continued to speak.

"There is clear news from above. After the meeting, the three representatives of various units and departments will be withdrawn to their original units one after another."

He leaned back on the sofa, grabbed the sofa armrest, and said, "Especially the authority of the management committees of various units and departments needs to be standardized and constrained."

Old Li still had the second half of this sentence that he didn't say, and it was also something he didn't dare to say and couldn't bear to say: from the current situation, the management structure of the management committees of various units and departments would eventually come to an end.

And as the director of the management committee, it was time for him to start arranging for the group's management committee to transition to the group's regularized management organizational structure.

Actually, relevant work had always been done. It was Li Xuewu who reminded him long ago, and he had expected it long ago. There had been no action at the group level because he was afraid that a big move would cause a series of unnecessary troubles.

Now that the signal from above had been issued, and the organizational structure transformation of various branches was becoming increasingly mature, the timing for the group to carry out organizational structure transformation was also mature.

The organizational structure transformation of the Red Star Plant was like this: first, based on organizational personnel transformation at the group level, the group's management hierarchy and department structure were reconstructed.

When promoting this system downward, it further abolished and reformed organizational institutions such as management committees of various branch factories and branches, restored the factory director responsibility system, and implemented unified management by the group management committee.

Now that the signal from above had been issued and the organizational structure transformation below was becoming increasingly mature, the timing for the group to carry out organizational structure transformation was also mature.

Li Huai De told Li Xuewu these things because Li Xuewu was responsible for the management and planning of the entire Liaodong industry. Completing the factory director responsibility system integrated management structure for industrial enterprises as soon as possible would also help the group complete the transformation quickly.

The organizational structure transformation mentioned here was not just as simple as changing a sign or a title; there was a lot of work involved.

"I don't know if you have heard or felt it." Li Huai De changed his excited expression and looked at Li Xuewu calmly, saying, "Some areas and relevant departments that established management committees earlier have begun to gradually restore organizational life, and have established core groups within the management committees to decide on major issues of enterprise and department development."

"At this meeting, perhaps there will be relevant proposals and discussions." Li Huai De hesitated and didn't continue.

Li Xuewu heard half of his sentence and actually understood everything, but he was silent for a moment before asking in return, "What do you mean?"

"The era is irresistible."

Li Huai De scratched the top of his head, which had almost no hair left, and sighed, "Besides letting nature take its course, what else can we do?"

This question stumped Li Xuewu. He couldn't answer it. This wasn't two monks sitting together playing Zen, just chatting casually. The words he said were very likely to affect the decision Old Li made. If there was a counter-effect, the loss would outweigh the gain.

"I will unconditionally support whatever decision you make." Li Xuewu's answer gradually became firm. He nodded and said, "I also believe that the decision you make must have been carefully considered."

"Hehehe—" Li Huai De rarely saw Li Xuewu support him so much, and felt a bit unaccustomed to it. In the past, it was he who gave opinions, and Li Xuewu gave certain judgments. He didn't know who was the leader and who was the subordinate.

Now that he had just mentioned it, Li Xuewu had grabbed the topic, as if he had no interest in this topic.

That's it. Regardless of how the core management group was selected, this quota wouldn't fall on the head of Li Xuewu, the Secretary-General, so it was natural that he wasn't interested, but it absolutely wasn't a good thing.

Could something that even Li Xuewu didn't care about be a good thing? Perhaps an organizational management structure like a management committee couldn't withstand tossing, and would have to be changed sooner or later?

After a light laugh, Old Li took the initiative to change the topic, looked at Li Xuewu, and said, "Above, a requirement was put forward, which was proposed based on the construction plan for the reserve force of integrated industrial enterprises for our factory's organizational construction."

He thought for a while and said, "The ministry proposed that the Red Star Steel Group take the lead in organizing the establishment of the 721 department based on the Vocational and Technical College. The construction work of this department is supported by Huaqing University and the Steel Institute to cultivate teachers for the college, formulate teaching plans, compile cross-disciplinary materials, etc."

Li Huai De spoke seriously, saying, "The main purpose of establishing this college is to enrich the personnel structure of the Red Star Steel Group in terms of technology and management, and actively improve the current shortage of technical talent..."

There was no need to listen to too much of this nonsense. Li Xuewu already understood the meaning, so he asked in return, "From which channel are the students recruited?"

"Factory employees, and also give some quotas to some joint enterprises."

Sure enough, Old Li's answer was as Li Xuewu expected. This was the ministry using the Red Star Steel Group's resources to dilute and correct some of the group's recent actions. Looking at it, it was giving the group face?

What had the group done recently that the ministry wanted to manage but couldn't, and what behavior was it intervening in softly through this means?

It was two years ago that the Red Star Steel Group began to frantically absorb university graduates, and the ministry had already noticed this situation.

At the beginning, the Red Star Plant had no reputation and no ability to absorb and place so many university students, so the ministry had no reaction.

But in the last two years, in the process of achieving group-type enterprise, the Red Star Plant first established scientific research institutes centered on the development and construction of various industrial enterprises, and last year integrated these research institute resources to establish a research institute.

This was one aspect. On the other hand, the group attached importance to and respected the working environment and development space of cultural and scientific workers, and actively strived for the joining of scientific and technical workers across the country related to the Red Star Plant's business.

The intensity wasn't great at the beginning, but as the group continuously made profits and continued to invest funds to expand personnel work, screening and absorbing excellent talent across the country, this move had been perceived and fed back by many parties.

The ministry began to face this problem squarely and understood it from the side, finding that there was no problem with the Red Star Plant's introduction and use of talent, and that the scientific development concept proposed by the management committee presided over by Li Huai De was not wrong.

However, so many technical talents and scientific workers poured into the Red Star Steel Group, and the number of university graduates entering the group driven by this increased greatly, making the average cultural level of the group's management and technical levels rise by more than one level.

Comparing more intuitively, in terms of the number of employees with a university degree or higher, the Red Star Plant had already far led the brother units.

This wasn't a bad thing, but it was necessary to be vigilant about the qualitative change brought about by certain quantitative changes. The ministry didn't know what to say, so it put forward this plan.

You Red Star Steel Group didn't propose technology first, developing industry and technology? You didn't have an independent education and training system? Then your own workers weren't being cultivated, and always recruiting people, what was the point?

Workers were advanced at any time. The Red Star Plant couldn't say that workers lacked cultivation potential and value. This was wrong.

So the ministry said this and arranged it this way, especially the requirement that the 721 college should give some quotas to joint enterprises, which everywhere reflected the ministry's care and love.

What else could Li Huai De say? Just accept it.

However, the 721 college's teaching method was very modernized, combining theory with practice. Theoretical learning was in the Vocational and Technical College, and practical learning was placed in various enterprises.

These workers selected to participate in training must possess basic cultural organizations, and after training and cultivation, they would absolutely be able to enrich the grassroots management force.

It was nothing more than investing a lot of energy and money. Li Xuewu agreed with this point. No matter how much education was invested, it wasn't too much.

"Good thing, this is also the progress of our Vocational and Technical College."

Li Xuewu looked at Li Huai De and said, "If the 721 college's school running can be successful, then in the future, our group's Vocational and Technical College might not have the possibility of further forming a university."

"You really dare to think—"

Li Huai De shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Which university in the country doesn't have a deep foundation? Our running a school is already a laughing stock."

"I don't think so." Li Xuewu said with a smile, "Ten thousand-story buildings rise from the ground. Which century-old enterprise didn't start from zero."

He tapped the sofa armrest with his finger, raised his eyebrows, and said, "Director Hu Ke of Liaodong Industry discussed with me to see if we could pull in Liaodong's Industrial University to develop cooperation with our industrial enterprises, and further develop teaching exchanges and cooperation with our group's Vocational and Technical College."

Li Xuewu spread his palms and said, "Broaden the knowledge base, open up cooperation channels, and achieve win-win results in industry, technology, education, etc."

"Hmm, there is nothing to hesitate about this." Li Huai De thought for a while, looked at Li Xuewu, and asked, "Did you see Deputy Director Lu?"

"Yes, we had a meal together."

Li Xuewu introduced with a smile, "He was still thinking about you, saying let you go sit at his place when you have time."

"Hehehe—" Li Huai De shook his head with a light laugh and said, "He set up a Hongmen banquet, I dare not go."

As if thinking of something, he looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Did the cooperation with Liaodong Industry start with academic cooperation or technical cooperation?"

"Director Hu Ke has considerations in this regard." Li Xuewu saw that Old Li had understood, so he nodded and introduced, "The meaning he told me was also to proceed in an orderly way. After all, our Red Star Steel Group is considered an outsider."

"This is also exclusive?" Li Huai De smiled in surprise, tilted his head, and said, "What time is it now."

"Sigh, it's always like this at any time. When it involves personal interests, transformation is moving the cake in their hands."

Li Xuewu also answered with a smile, "I told Director Hu Ke that it's no problem to make a cake together, but we won't be the knife to cut the cake."

"Hahaha—" Li Huai De smiled very satisfied. He never doubted that Li Xuewu would be eaten to death by the other party because of a meal after going to Liaodong.

Just with Li Xuewu's virtue of never having enough of taking advantage and never suffering a loss, could he stumble in enterprise operation and management?

If he really didn't have this ability, he wouldn't have been troubled at the beginning and directly blocked Li Xuewu from going to Liaodong so early.

Now it seems that Li Xuewu's work in Liaodong is like a fish in water, having achieved complete handover and stability internally, and successfully opened up the situation externally.

The key is that Li Xuewu didn't kill a single soldier or general after arriving in Liaodong, which is enough to show his ability to respond with ease.

"I heard some feedback about the audit work." Li Huai De thought for a while and said, "You don't need to worry about the group side. We will definitely support you in what should be supported. Just let go and do it."

He thought for a while and said, "Whether it's secondment or transfer, do a good job in summarizing experience. Your asset audit of various industrial enterprises in Liaodong can be considered to have set a precedent for cross-audit."

"This point still needs the support and help of the group and the management committee." Li Xuewu said very earnestly, "I request that the Leading Group Office take the lead in organizing, and next, relevant group departments will join other transferred personnel to enter various industrial enterprises to carry out comprehensive asset inventory."

"Hmm, it can be carried out according to the plan." Li Huai De nodded and said, "I will emphasize this matter at this week's office meeting."

He thought for a while, then looked at Li Xuewu and said, "If things in the capital are almost done, you should go back as soon as possible. Don't have problems at this time."

"I understand. The train is set for tomorrow morning."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "The construction progress of the Steel Flying production line will be reported on time every week. Have you seen the new project of Steel Auto?"

Seeing Old Li nod, he continued, "Next, the Liaodong Industrial Management Group will start the established construction plan when the project period arrives, and comprehensively promote the overall planning and construction work of the Red Star Steel City Industrial Zone."

"No problem, the plans for the hospital and exhibition hall can be executed." Li Huai De nodded and confirmed, "When do you plan to start building the school and office building? Is the capital pressure great?"

"Great, but I can still think of ways." Li Xuewu said with a smile, "But as long as I have a penny in my hand, I won't touch the mold of Deputy Director Yu Nong."

"Hehe—" Li Huai De looked at him with a smile and said, "Comrade Yu Nong's serious and responsible attitude toward work is worth learning from you and me."

He picked up the teacup and took a sip, then said, "There is no need to be too harsh about capital. This year is to tighten the belt, but not to the point of strangling oneself."

Putting down the teacup, Old Li raised his chin again and said, "You still need to talk to Comrade Wang Xiaoqin. Do as much preparation as possible."

"No problem." Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I will be responsible for her work, and you just support the work in Liaodong."

He smiled and handed a document to Old Li, saying, "These are some of my recent thoughts. This time the time is tight, you look at it first, and we will touch it again next time I come back. If it's appropriate, I want to do it this year."

"Oh—" Li Huai De took the document Li Xuewu pulled out from under the notebook and looked at it. The text was handwritten, Li Xuewu's handwriting.

"Four Constructions?" He looked at Li Xuewu in surprise, then opened the document cover. What the four constructions were, he had already understood.

No need to look down anymore. The summary of the first page fully reflected that this was preparation Li Xuewu had put enough effort into.

Li Xuewu made a move, where were there any scraps? It was absolutely an important guiding work thought document that the Red Star Steel Group needed to refer to this year.

You want to say that Old Li, who is the director, still has to rely on Li Xuewu to provide work plans, isn't it a bit shameful?

Don't say that. You have to think this way: he is not unable to do guiding work thought documents, but the documents he makes will be compared down by Li Xuewu's documents and ideas. So he simply doesn't do it from the beginning, so even if Li Xuewu has talent, he can't compare with him. That's right, isn't it!

I didn't do anything, what are you comparing with me! Can you compare!

What kind of waste snack is this? This is called governing by doing nothing. Learn it—

"Did Gu Yan borrow money from you?"

At night, Gu Ning went to see the children were asleep, then returned to the master bedroom and asked this question when she saw Li Xuewu reading.

Li Xuewu's gaze lifted from the book page, looked at her, and asked, "How do you know? Did he tell you?"

"Do you think he would tell me this?"

Gu Ning walked to the bed and sat down, saying faintly, "I saw him buy a motorcycle for Zhou Yao. I just said his allowance wasn't enough."

"Sigh, brother-in-law and brother-in-law, this money is not a matter." Li Xuewu smiled, took her hand, and asked, "Are you, the sister, feeling distressed?"

"What am I distressed about? I'm afraid he'll get used to it." Gu Ning frowned slightly, looked at Li Xuewu earnestly, and said, "If he really has a place to use money, I won't care if you lend it to him, but just to buy a motorcycle..."

"Yes, I didn't know what he wanted to do, just said borrow some money."

Li Xuewu actually knew, but he couldn't say it too clearly at this moment. There was no need to carry this matter for his brother-in-law.

"Then let this be the last time. I won't lend him money of this amount in the future. If he opens his mouth, I will say the money at home is managed by you."

"Can he believe you if you say that?"

Now it was Gu Ning's turn to doubt him. She shook off his hand and got on the bed, saying, "When have I ever managed the money at home?"

"Look at you. If you want to manage money, don't use my brother-in-law as a raft. People get married once, just feeling distressed for their wife."

Li Xuewu smiled and hugged Gu Ning, saying, "Just say, how much do you want to manage? I'll have people organize it tomorrow and hand it all over to you to manage."

"Are you doing this on purpose?" Gu Ning lay on his arm, looked at him with squinted eyes, and asked, "You clearly know I'm not used to managing money."

"Fine, you are the boss of our family. Whatever you say is what it is." Li Xuewu didn't dare to argue with Gu Ning anymore. She had a possibility of mutation.

What happened to this wife? Why did she change so much? She wouldn't say so much idle talk before. At this moment, she actually started arguing with him.

Especially this look, it was much more attitude than before, and it was also much richer. Sometimes there was a back-and-forth exchange of anger and coquetry.

"You say, can we have another one?"

Li Xuewu was also the kind of person who climbed up the nose. Seeing Gu Ning was willing to chat with him, he started to have tricks.

"Look, Li Shu is 5 years old, and Li Ning is almost three. Isn't it appropriate to have another one?"

He leaned on his arm and calculated for Gu Ning on his fingers, saying, "When you give birth to the third, the eldest will just be going to elementary school, and the second can be handed over to the old lady or mom to bring. You will be more relaxed, right?"

"Why would I be relaxed?"

Gu Ning frowned slightly and reminded, "Don't forget, the eldest sister-in-law is giving birth this autumn. Who will take care of the third one then? You?"

"Of course I can't take care of it. Why don't I let my mother-in-law come back?"

Li Xuewu made random ideas and said, "Just let her live at our house. The children brought by the grandmother are also close. It's all the same."

"Hmm, your thought is really beautiful."

Gu Ning curled her lips and said, "My mom doesn't even take care of the eldest grandson, can she come to our house to take care of the little one?"

"Hey, you said it, I just want to ask." Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and asked, "Does mom not like children?"

"What do you want to say?" Gu Ning squinted her eyes and glared at him, saying, "Why don't I help you ask tomorrow?"

"Tsk—just chatting, why are you getting angry."

Li Xuewu smiled and hugged her, saying, "Then you say, do we still want the third one? You have the final say on this matter in our family."

He raised his eyebrows and said, "I advise you to be prepared. In case both of these next door become successful, there will be no days of grandchildren around the knees in the future."

"Isn't there a saying that good children are raised for the country, and only naughty ones are raised for oneself."

Li Xuewu touched her stomach and said, "If you think it's noisy, then we'll just have Li Shu and Li Ning. It's also close."

"Then let it be fate—" Gu Ning seemed to have some concerns, but didn't think about saying it out, so she agreed.

Li Xuewu saw she said so, so he nodded and affirmed, "Then let it be fate. If we have it, we have it. If not, just these two."

"When are you leaving tomorrow?"

Gu Ning looked at him and asked, "Why didn't you go see Guodong and the others when you came back this time?"

"Hmm, I didn't intend to see them." Li Xuewu hugged her and lay on the pillow together, let out a long breath, and said, "Sometimes if you hold on too tight, they won't run by themselves. Sometimes if you loosen your hand for too long, they might run crookedly."

"Have you thought carefully about what you will be like in the future, and what they will be like?" Gu Ning suddenly asked such a profound topic, which caught Li Xuewu off guard.

He looked up at Gu Ning and asked, "Did you hear something, or think of something?"

"No, it's that I saw Guodong and Chen Xiaoyan that day." Gu Ning also sighed and said faintly, "Chen Xiaoyan said Guodong is busy, busy to the point of not returning home sometimes, and nagging about those things in business every day."

"Are they wanting children?"

Li Xuewu thought for a while and said, "I'll find a time to chat with them later. Children's matter cannot be delayed. Just do what should be done."

"What about the others?" Gu Ning looked at him and asked, "Are you going to keep managing them like this, responsible for everything they do?"

"This can't be explained clearly by just one responsibility." Li Xuewu thought for a while and said, "This is a two-way rush, just like you and me."

"You and me? And them?" Gu Ning raised her eyebrows slightly and asked, "Is this how you define friendship?"

"Where did you think?" Li Xuewu looked at her with a smile and said, "The friendship between us is pure revolutionary friendship, which has been tested, it is..."

"When do you and Chen Xiaoyan plan to have children?"

At the train station, Li Xuewu asked Shen Guodong, who came to see him off: "I heard you are so busy that you don't even return home?"

He looked his brother up and down and asked, "Do you need me to give you a holiday to go back and accompany Chen Xiaoyan well?"

"Don't, absolutely don't—" Shen Guodong's face was flushed, "If you give me a holiday, I won't have the face to see them again."

"She's just complaining, don't mind it. It's not like I have someone outside, it's just that I've really been busy recently."

Shen Guodong explained, "The street side wants to expand operations, form scale, and it's best to be able to form linkage with several adjacent streets."

"I was responsible for part of this work. Then there is the business of distribution that I have to be responsible for after Xiaobai left." He smiled bitterly and said, "I didn't feel the stall was big before, but I saw it when the manpower was tight. It's really a bit too busy."

"If you are too busy, cut off some business. What is there to be reluctant about?" Li Xuewu looked at him and said, "If there is no one to do it, do you want to tire yourself to death? Don't you know how to cultivate talent?"

"No matter how many people there are, it's not enough. How can it be in time to cultivate now."

Shen Guodong shook his head slightly and said, "I discussed it with the third uncle. The boys can't be used for the time being. They can be helpers, but they can't be entrusted with important tasks, otherwise the seedlings will be crooked, which is a pity."

"Finding people from outside is not suitable for every project." He thought for a while, looked at Li Xuewu, and asked, "I'm thinking, can we throw away these projects done with the street, anyway, they can't make any money."

"What is there to hesitate about? Give it to the street, you go talk to the godmother." Li Xuewu nodded decisively and said, "Don't be reluctant. Only by giving can you get. Just pick up the distribution later."

"I'm considering it too. The distribution part can't be lost at any time. The third uncle has been helping me with this recently."

Shen Guodong nodded and said, "He is doing research, making plans, wanting to reorganize our distribution system and form a system."

"Is he idle, doing a system at this time?"

Li Xuewu said amusedly and angrily, "Tell him to do less useless things, and go to Steel City to hand over as soon as possible after recovering his health."

"You say this, I also want to mention it to you." Shen Guodong said with a smile, "The third uncle actually doesn't want to return to Dongfeng Shipping, feeling he has no face."

"Where does he want to return? Port City?" Li Xuewu curled his lips and said, "He doesn't want to return to Port City, he wants his dozen girlfriends, right?"

"Hehehe, I don't know, I just saw it." Shen Guodong raised his eyebrows and said, "This time you came back and he didn't catch you. If he really saw you, he might have mentioned it."

"Tell him, there is no possibility."

Li Xuewu snorted coldly and said, "Biaozi is still selling his life in Port City. The mess there will never be cleaned up, never cleaned up."

"So complicated?" Shen Guodong frowned and asked, "I said I would go there once at the beginning, to solve the matter there as soon as possible."

"Haven't you seen that the news from Port City is getting less and less." Li Xuewu said faintly, "I am also worried about them."

"Brother Wu—" Shen Guodong widened his eyes and asked, "Will Biao brother—"

"Rest assured, he is not the third uncle. What the third uncle can't do, he can do. The ruthlessness the third uncle doesn't have, he doesn't even have a heart."

Li Xuewu curled his lips and said, "Biaozi going to Port City is a blessing, not a curse. It just depends on the final result."

Port City situation? Sister Wang returns? ===== CHAPTER 1414 =====