Chapter 1418: Bluffing, keep bluffing!

"The Secretary-General is truly..." Ma Baosen shook his head with a dazed expression, standing by the third-floor windowsill, watching Vice Factory Director Yin being led into a car downstairs.

Standing beside him, Wang Min wore a cold sneer, his fingers tapping lightly against the glass.

Several people followed his gesture and looked over, only to see Office Director Liao Jinhui standing at the building entrance, his face drained of color.

Is it the fear of the lips being gone and the teeth feeling cold, or is it the sorrow of one's own kind?

Since the restructuring of the Factory Management Committee, the Management Office had been abolished and the Institutional Comprehensive Management Division established, leaving Director Liao hanging in limbo.

Different news about the heads of other divisions had been trickling in over the last month, and everyone was anxious for him.

Of course, not everyone was well-intentioned; there were those waiting to see Director Liao's misfortune, just waiting to say he was reaping what he sowed.

The position of Factory Director's Office Director had been the first to be settled, falling, unsurprisingly, to Sun Jia.

Some sighed that "a new emperor brings new courtiers," a saying fully embodied by Sun Jia and Liao Jinhui.

Originally, Sun Jia was a non-entity in the office, someone long forgotten by everyone. Liao Jinhui, of course, had been the most sought-after and highly regarded director at the Metallurgical Factory, deeply trusted by the leadership.

And now?

Director Liao's position was as precarious as an egg, while Sun Jia had advanced rapidly, becoming the director closest to the leadership.

If one were to say the position of head of the Institutional Comprehensive Management Division was more attractive, Liao Jinhui had long since lost the chance.

So now, looking at Director Liao, there was no longer any high-spiritedness, only eyes full of defeat.

"Has the appointment for the Director of the Comprehensive Office not been issued yet?" Zhou Linghua walked over and glanced out the window, clearly having heard their recent conversation.

"Isn't Director Liao presiding over the work right now? The leadership hasn't gotten around to this side yet, has it?"

"That depends on whether he can get past this hurdle—" Wang Min spoke without restraint, even with a touch of cynicism.

He glanced sideways downstairs and said, "He's only safe if the audit team says he's safe; otherwise, the position of Director of the Comprehensive Office will fly away too."

Zhou Linghua looked at him deeply but said nothing. The two were not classmates, but having worked together for a period, he knew the other's temperament and disposition.

In terms of talent, Wang Min could be considered a gifted scholar in the field of architectural engineering, possessing great professional competence. But in his conduct, he was always somewhat extreme and stubborn.

Director Zhang Jing had once mentioned in private that Wang Min's personality might be related to his upbringing.

This kid grew up in a single-parent household; being able to attend university in this era showed a great deal of resilience.

"It's not as if the leadership hasn't given them a chance." Ma Baosen said, arms crossed, "Those who actively returned their ill-gotten gains and voluntarily confessed their problems were basically not dealt with."

"That depends on the person—"

Wang Min took up the conversation at this point, emphasizing, "If the problem is significant and the impact is severe, then they must be dealt with."

He glanced at Ma Baosen and said, "It's just a matter of granting a certain degree of leniency based on the circumstances."

"That's still better than burning incense and praying when the trouble is at the door." Ma Baosen turned his head to look at him and said, "Isn't it better to talk to the leadership voluntarily than to be anxious at home?"

"Comrade Ma—" Wang Min shook his head with feigned emotion, reached out to pat the other's shoulder, and said in an old-fashioned tone, "If they all thought like you, they wouldn't have reached out their hands in the first place."

"I just know that knowing one's mistakes and correcting them is the greatest virtue." Ma Baosen shook his shoulder, dislodging the other's hand, and said indifferently, "I know even better that killing someone is just a matter of a head falling; nothing is more important than life."

"Comrade Baosen lives very transparently." Zhou Linghua, fearing the two might clash, deliberately interjected, "It's not easy to see through this point at such an age."

"Heh—he just lacks ambition."

Wang Min smiled at Ma Baosen, withdrew his gaze from the window, and returned to the office, shaking his head.

Zhou Linghua smiled and patted Ma Baosen's arm, softly persuading him, "Wang Min just has this temperament. He's not a bad person; don't lower yourself to his level."

"Hi, what are you saying." Ma Baosen smiled broadly and said, "We weren't talking about anyone else, were we?"

"Fine, you really have a broad mind."

Zhou Linghua looked at him with great admiration, nodded, and said, "I'll talk to him later. He can't keep talking like that; it's too divisive. What qualification does he have to call you 'Little Ma'?"

"Don't bother, it's not a big deal. Doesn't everyone call me that?"

Ma Baosen smiled and said indifferently, "Let it be, we get along fine."

"He has read many books, but his learning isn't solid." Zhou Linghua looked at Ma Baosen and said with a touch of emotion, "Especially the subject of society; he really isn't as good as you."

"Oh, please stop." Ma Baosen smiled bashfully, rubbed his arm, and said, "You've praised me until I have goosebumps."

"Hahaha—" Zhou Linghua tilted his head, signaling for the two to enter the room together.

Ma Baosen was actually very willing to communicate with Zhou Linghua. Despite the other being a university student, he had absolutely no airs or reserve, and was very close to him.

"Hey, Brother Zhou, let me ask you something." Ma Baosen asked softly, "How do you think the Secretary-General studies? How is he so formidable?"

"Heh, this question has stumped me." Zhou Linghua looked at him amusedly and said, "If I knew how the leadership studied, I would have followed suit."

"I just can't figure it out."

Ma Baosen looked truly bewildered, frowning in thought, "He is always unhurried and calm, as if he wouldn't be panicked or surprised no matter what happens."

"Just take what he experienced at the Steel City Station as an example." He counted on his fingers, "So many people had their own ideas, yet he could always sort out the contradictions and ideas without anyone noticing, and solve the problems."

"Just like the one who was taken away today."

He looked at Zhou Linghua and asked, "How did the Secretary-General do it? There wasn't even a sign."

"What signs did you expect to see?" Zhou Linghua asked back, unable to laugh or cry, "Did you expect them to have a row, or even start a fight?"

"Hehehe, that wouldn't happen." Ma Baosen found the scene amusing and teased, "Even if they did fight, I reckon ten Vice Factory Directors Yin tied together wouldn't be a match for the Secretary-General."

"Stop talking nonsense—" Zhou Linghua patted his arm and reminded him in a low voice, "If your Master hears you, he'll scold you again."

"Then you must not tell anyone!"

Ma Baosen, hearing him mention his Master, finally realized and widened his eyes, saying, "I have no complaints about the Secretary-General."

But he didn't expect Zhang Enyuan's voice to ring out from behind them at that moment: "Then who do you have complaints about?"

On the last day of April, the Third Guard Regiment rotated, withdrawing from the north and returning to Beijing by train.

Related issues had basically been eased through diplomatic channels. It was precisely because the Third Guard Regiment fought fiercely, accurately, and ruthlessly that a broader negotiating environment was provided for the diplomatic front.

Before the troops had even returned to Beijing, related news had already spread. Li Xuewu learned from Li Huai De's phone call that the Third Guard Regiment had been awarded the title of "Red Star Regiment" for their meritorious service, in recognition of their collective combat achievements.

Why the "Red Star Regiment"? There was some significance to this, which had to be explained starting from Old Li's side.

What was revealed in Old Li's phone call was that while commending the Third Guard Regiment, the higher-ups also affirmed the positive attitude and strong support of the Red Star Steel Group.

Considering everything, the combat effectiveness and absolute discipline the Third Guard Regiment possessed today had a certain relationship with multi-party cooperation, especially the development and feedback of the enterprise.

A series of details regarding the Third Guard Regiment's participation in the battle had been reported to the higher-ups, especially the detailed information on combat equipment, and the higher-ups had even noted the weapon manufacturers.

The frequent appearance of the Red Star Steel Group's logo, especially the helicopters and special vehicles, truly dazzled them with equipment tested on the battlefield.

Anyone who knew the industry could not ignore the importance of this equipment, as well as its key attributes in this battle; it could be called a magic weapon for victory.

In the report, the relevant person in charge also mentioned that Steel Aviation was realizing the mass production plan for the KH-4 helicopter, as well as production plans for two other more advanced helicopters.

The exposition regarding the Tan Tu special operations vehicle also cited the claims of Steel Automotive engineers; this was a key project for the Red Star Steel Group's Steel City Automotive Factory for the next five years, with research and development funding alone exceeding five million.

In this era, to invest over five million in the research and development of a single vehicle—that must be a truly comprehensive vehicle, better than the current experimental model.

"The higher-ups called me to attend a meeting, and I was wondering, there hasn't been anything going on lately."

Li Huai De had clearly been singled out and praised by the leadership; otherwise, he wouldn't be laughing so heartily on the phone.

Li Xuewu could tell from the tone of his voice on the phone that his face was already crinkled like a chrysanthemum with joy.

"The leadership didn't mention the past, did they?"

Li Xuewu was so good at chatting; he delivered the words naturally and could even scratch Old Li's itch.

"No—" Old Li elongated his voice exaggeratedly and said with a smile, "How could he remember the past now? I bet even if he didn't want to forget, he'd have to."

"That's true, we didn't support them any less this time." Li Xuewu couldn't let Old Li feel the heartache voluntarily, so he asked feignedly stingy, "Can't you step forward and ask a thing or two, about the batch of equipment we supported, is it...?"

He hesitated deliberately when he reached this point, then continued, "Even if those conventional weapons were damaged in battle and couldn't be used, our experimental vehicles and helicopters should at least be returned to us, right?"

"Sigh—" Sure enough, hearing Li Xuewu reach this point, Old Li, who had been full of excitement, sighed helplessly, his tone resigned as he said, "Forget it. When you first brought this up, I never intended to see the day these pieces of equipment returned."

"The deed is done; we can't spoil the mood."

He said with feigned generosity, "The leaders are still in high spirits. If I go to add trouble now, perhaps ten parts of merit would only leave three."

"Besides, we and the Third Guard Regiment aren't outsiders; these things would be sent over for practice sooner or later anyway."

Li Huai De composed his mood, reorganized his emotions, and said to Li Xuewu, "Consider it as the experimental progress being advanced."

"If Steel Automotive and Steel Aviation need experimental targets, then just produce some more. If the funding isn't sufficient, tell me; I'll think of a way."

"That's all we can do then."

Li Xuewu said, imitating his tone, but there was still a slight silence on the phone.

Li Huai De didn't want him to feel the heartache over these trifles; if Li Xuewu felt the heartache, he would feel it even more.

"By the way, let me tell you something."

He changed the subject and said on the phone, "Comrade Wang Xiaoqin voluntarily submitted a resignation report to the Group Management Committee, requesting to resign from the position of Manager of the Quality, Safety, and Environmental Protection Department."

"I and the relevant leadership tried to persuade her, but we couldn't resist Comrade Wang Xiaoqin's special circumstances, so we agreed."

Don't look at Old Li saying it like this; in fact, what influenced Wang Xiaoqin to resign voluntarily was still his opinion.

The last time the two met, Li Huai De had revealed that some institutions and regions were already undergoing Management Committee system reforms, and the "Three Supports and Two Militaries" representatives were withdrawing from these units one after another.

He wanted Li Xuewu to prepare early, but the Group only had one "Three Supports and Two Militaries" representative; what was he to prepare?

Li Xuewu also stated very straightforwardly to Li Huai De that he would talk to Wang Xiaoqin.

With the friendship between the two, they didn't even need to meet; everything was understood without words.

On the phone, Wang Xiaoqin let out a long sigh of relief, as if she had unloaded a heavy burden; how could there be any sense of loss?

She even wanted to resign from the status of "Three Supports and Two Militaries" representative immediately, but she was afraid that too big a move would attract unnecessary and excessive attention from the Group and other aspects, so it had to be done step by step.

Li Xuewu and Wang Xiaoqin had agreed: first resign from the position of Manager of the Quality and Safety Department, and voluntarily withdraw from the Management Committee organization. Later, resign from the "Three Supports and Two Militaries" representative position. This process had to be stable and had to wait for the right timing.

Old Li said the outside was changing; in fact, he wanted to see the Group get rid of the monitoring of the "Three Supports and Two Militaries" representatives as soon as possible, but to implement it comprehensively, it would still take some time.

Fortunately, Wang Xiaoqin continued Li Xuewu's work policy here, not making Old Li feel it was very troublesome.

The two sides cooperated tacitly, and Old Li really couldn't bear to let Wang Xiaoqin completely detach from the Red Star Steel Group.

He was also afraid of the excessive reactions from the outside and the inside; it was better to be stable at this time, no need to compete for the lead everywhere.

In fact, the Red Star Factory also learned the "Three Supports and Two Militaries" representative system from others. Wang Xiaoqin was very cooperative with the Red Star Factory's work when she held the position.

So it was Li Huai De's intention, but when he spoke, he had to be more tactful to give Li Xuewu face.

After all, inviting Wang Xiaoqin to sit in charge in the first place was out of fear of problems; it could be considered borrowing the other's momentum.

And don't talk about mutual benefit; the Red Star Factory was a big enterprise, so it benefited more.

Old Li's politeness on the phone wasn't hypocritical at all; he truly hadn't expected Wang Xiaoqin to be so giving of face, without even a hint of resentment or reluctance to leave the position.

"Yes, she mentioned it to me once, saying that the current work is too much and she really can't keep up."

Li Xuewu said very sincerely, "If you need her to end the work of the 'Three Supports and Two Militaries' representative, she would really be happy enough to jump up."

"Hahaha—" Li Huai De laughed for a while and said, "Personally, I am very grateful for Comrade Wang Xiaoqin's obedience at the Red Star Factory, so the cooperation with the Third Guard Regiment must continue and be strengthened."

Returning a peach for a plum, Wang Xiaoqin acted openly, and Old Li wasn't a stingy person, so he had to be even more open than Wang Xiaoqin.

Li Xuewu always felt that Old Li was the kind of person who could be tricked by words.

"Wait a bit, I'll arrange for the office to make a silk banner for her, so she can have some face."

Isn't this just being idle—!

"It's a little hot; I definitely can't wear a sweater, but it's too cold to wear short sleeves, a shirt..."

Bang Geng sat alone at the desk, holding a fountain pen, writing a letter home in a serious manner.

On the left side of the desk was a bottle of fountain pen ink, and on the right was a dictionary. He wasn't sure about some characters in this plain-spoken letter home, or he didn't know how to write them.

Away from home, letters home were mostly concise, picking the important things to write; paper is short, feelings are long.

But not Bang Geng; he couldn't write those flowery words at all; he wrote whatever came to mind.

Sometimes there would even be some Beijing slang between the lines, which made people laugh when they read it.

In fact, writing letters home was something Li Xuewu forced him to do; if he didn't write, he wouldn't be given food.

Li Xuewu had set it up with Bang Geng: one letter home every week; if it was short or missing, he would go hungry and not have dinner.

You might say not having dinner is nothing, just endure the hunger, and if it were really like that, Bang Geng wouldn't be struggling so hard to pick characters to write the letter.

Is that a problem of one dinner? If you don't eat this dinner, how can you persist in the exercise before breakfast tomorrow? Wouldn't your stomach be flattened?

"Why is there Pinyin in your letter?"

Fu Zhidong, who had come over at some point, glanced at the letter he was writing and suddenly laughed.

This made Bang Geng so ashamed; he was actually laughed at by a child in the second grade of primary school.

"I'm just forgetting the characters as I write, do you understand!"

He was still arguing, "My inspiration is all in my head; I'm afraid I'll forget it in a while, so I'll put Pinyin there to block it for a while, and I'll fill it in when I finish writing."

"Then your inspiration is too anxious." Fu Zhidong pointed his finger at the letter paper, counted it, and looked up in surprise, saying, "There are actually eleven places with Pinyin. Are there so many characters you don't know how to write?"

"I said it's forgetting characters as I write, forgetting characters as I write, why are you so annoying!" Bang Geng waved his hand impatiently and said, "Can't you see I'm writing a letter? Go, go, go, stay wherever it's cool, don't disturb me, did you hear?"

Children all talk like this; they don't think it's excessive among themselves; it's just playing around.

Fu Zhidong had also learned to be bad from his godfather; he pointed his finger at the blank space in front and asked, "Why is there something missing here? Is it that you don't know how to spell the Pinyin?"

"Tsk—" Bang Geng widened his eyes and explained firmly, "I was preparing to mark the Pinyin, who told you to disturb me? I've forgotten what I was going to mark."

"Hehe—" Fu Zhidong smiled wickedly, looked at Bang Geng, and said, "I still suggest you don't use Chinese characters; you might as well write it all in Pinyin."

"That way it saves the trouble of pulling the front and dragging the back, and you don't have to flip through the dictionary, it's just that translating it takes some effort."

"Am I not beating you up!" Bang Geng widened his eyes to scare Fu Zhidong, and seeing that this little brat wasn't afraid at all, he turned to call Aunt Zhou to complain.

But Fu Zhidong was worse than him; seeing him about to shout, he was waiting for him here in advance.

"Shout, shout!" He raised his eyebrows to remind Bang Geng, "If you shout, my mom will see your spider-crawling letter, and then won't you have an extra task of calligraphy practice every day?"

"Zhou—" Bang Geng had just shouted half a voice, but hearing what this little bastard said, he felt guilty and held back the rest of the words, his face red, almost suffocating him.

"What do you want?" He widened his eyes at Fu Zhidong and asked, "I don't have pocket money for you."

"Who wants your pocket money—"

Fu Zhidong rolled his eyes at him and then whispered, "Didn't you say you could make a slingshot to shoot birds? Make one for me too, and teach me how to shoot birds."

"Heh—hehe—" Bang Geng sneered and turned to continue writing his letter.

Fu Zhidong saw that he wasn't falling for his trick and quickly added, "I can help you write the letter!"

"No need—" Bang Geng lowered his head and scribbled, but said very clearly, "If I make a slingshot and teach you to shoot birds, I'll be scolded; if I let you help me write the letter, I'll still be scolded."

"You can go to Aunt Zhou and complain that I write poorly; at worst, I'll just spend time practicing."

He glanced back at the little one standing by the desk and said, "Between being scolded and being talked about, I can still make a wise choice. Don't waste your effort; if you want to play, figure it out yourself, don't bother me."

"You really don't know what's good for you!"

Fu Zhidong stomped his feet hatefully and said, "If I had known you were such a coward, I wouldn't have come to beg you. It's in vain that we recognized you as the big brother; you really don't cover for us."

"Dog fart big brother—" Bang Geng curled his lips and said, "I'm here to hang out at your mom's dock, not to lead you little brats to hang out on the street."

He stopped his fountain pen, pinched his fingers, lowered his eyelids, and looked at Fu Zhidong, saying, "Do you believe that if I beat you up now, you wouldn't dare to go complain to Aunt Zhou?"

"Consider you ruthless—" Fu Zhidong wouldn't argue with him; seeing him about to use his fists, he greased his feet and slipped away.

He had friends at school, and the topics discussed by the male students were nothing more than whose brother was more powerful and who was the best at fighting in the class.

In these years, teachers were also worried; the students were like sheep. Primary school was actually a bit better, at least there was order, but conflicts between students were inevitable.

Fu Zhidong was small, but he had many tricks and could always take advantage of both sides, but he also needed a backer.

That was what he thought; anyway, Bang Geng ate at his house and lived at his house, so borrowing Bang Geng's prestige shouldn't be excessive, right?

Excessive! Very offensive. Bang Geng looked down on these little brats; they had no serious business all day, just babbling on the way to school, and were obedient babies as soon as class started.

Thinking back to those years, he dared to pull out the airtight core of the teacher's bicycle, dared to put toads in the chalk box, dared to put the trash can on the door before the class bell rang, dared...

Sigh—

Thinking back to those years, Bang Geng felt a bit desolate; he missed the days of studying in the past.

That was already half a year ago... Thinking about it felt so distant.

Now seeing Fu Zhidong, this kid, not learning well, he even had a feeling of being fond of teaching others; he really wanted to teach him to study hard and not follow his old path.

Look at how busy he was every day now; society wasn't easy to hang out in.

After driving away the little brat Fu Zhidong, he continued to write his letter home, expressing to his mother in a tone he thought was mature that he was determined not to regret dropping out of school.

"It's fine if you don't let me have the May 1st Labor Day, but why don't you give us a holiday for the May 4th Youth Day?"

Fu Zhidong came down from upstairs, swaying, and seeing his mother busy in the kitchen, he complained to Bang Geng, who had just come out of the room.

Bang Geng curled his lips with a smile that wasn't a smile and said, "The May 4th Youth Day is for social youths like us, not for little bed-wetting brats like you. You should have the June 1st Children's Day; you are a child."

"Just you? A social youth."

Fu Zhidong curled his lips, walked into the dining room, and muttered, "Social or not, youth or not."

"What are you muttering about?" Zhou Wang Yamei took out the white flour pancakes she had fried in the pan and put them in a basin, turning back to say to her son, "Go wash your hands and get ready to eat."

"Okay, Mother—"

Fu Zhidong smiled obediently, walked past his mother, and the smile on his face instantly disappeared.

Bang Geng stood facing him, raised his eyebrows, and teased, "Acting cute and obedient, if you aren't a child, what are you?"

"Cut—" Fu Zhidong curled his lips, walked around him, and said indignantly, "You were born to have the Youth Day, you don't need to have the Children's Day, right..."

The two were familiar with each other; every morning when they got up, they would definitely bicker and mutter for a while.

Even on the way to morning exercise, panting and gasping, they couldn't stop their arguing.

Zhou Wang Yamei wasn't used to it, but she didn't have time to talk to them; Li Xuewu had time to talk to them, but he was used to it.

At this moment, Zhou Wang Yamei was preparing breakfast; he had finished exercising, taken a shower, changed his clothes, and was sitting on the sofa reading today's newspaper, very leisurely and comfortable.

In today's newspaper, a spring breeze blew, and the bitter winter also produced a trace of cracks.

It seemed that the status and life of people like Lou Yu would be improved to a certain extent, but he didn't know if his cheap father-in-law still had the courage to show his face.

It was as if he were retired; Lou Yu didn't even return to his mansion, but lived in the worker's new village residential building that Li Xuewu bought for him.

The old couple lived in seclusion, and apart from daily life, they took care of their grandson going to and from school; even when they went out for a walk, they only wandered around the Liangma River Ecological Industrial Zone.

It wasn't that no one persuaded Lou Yu to come out of the mountains again; even if the steel mill couldn't be taken back, the status and treatment could always be solved, right? Just be a little more active and cooperate with the propaganda.

But he didn't know if he was scared out of his wits or if he was truly tired of the chaotic secular fame and fortune; Lou Yu really refused everything, without any intention of reorganizing his drums and coming out of the mountains again.

Li Xuewu didn't go to disturb him either; he had only been there once since they moved.

Since he wanted to enjoy his old age, then fulfill his wish. Listening to his mother-in-law, Lou Yu's health wasn't very good; perhaps he wouldn't live for many more years.

Lou Xiaoe's opinion from Hong Kong was the same; she didn't want her father to intervene too much in business.

The think tank on the mountain was still running; those old guys had waited for four years without good results, had long since lost their hearts, and had voluntarily made arrangements for their aftermath.

Cultivating children and grandchildren was naturally urgent; the main force of the think tank was also these middle-aged and young generations.

The old people still focused on grasping key decisions.

Li Xuewu had rarely seen them in the past two years, and even deliberately avoided them; not meeting was good for both sides.

Lou Xiaoe's business in Hong Kong was getting better and better, and these people inevitably had some different thoughts.

Li Xuewu was afraid that if he met them, he wouldn't be able to tolerate those crooked thoughts, and if he took action again, it would really not be worth it.

The "taking action" mentioned here wasn't really taking action, but playing tricks on the Hong Kong business.

If he really wanted to play "black eating black" and eat up all the shares of these people, they would have no way at all.

Right there in the big mountains, it would be easy for Li Xuewu to make them disappear forever.

Of course, after four years, they also had a certain amount of confidence; if Li Xuewu had wanted to take action, he would have done so long ago, so Lou Yu coming down the mountain didn't scare them.

Lou Yu's health was failing, and everyone understood the situation of wanting to live a few more years to take care of his grandson.

These people were in good health, and the resources on the mountain were abundant, which was very nourishing.

If it weren't for Lou Ting needing a better learning environment, the old couple really wouldn't have been willing to come down.

In fact, being low-key was good; Li Xuewu didn't think it was spring yet; with their status and their physique, they couldn't withstand the tossing.

Even the psychological pressure was unbearable; just practice well on the mountain. When spring really comes, Li Xuewu wouldn't have any intention of stopping them.

This money, how much is enough?

What belongs to others should be given to others. When the time comes, these people will definitely choose to go to Hong Kong; he could fully support it, and even arrange for people to send them over.

Whether it's buying houses and land, or withdrawing money and running away, it's all up to them. Borrowing a chicken to lay eggs, you can't not return the chicken, and you can't leave the eggs behind.

Just after the May 4th Youth Day, Li Xuewu heard a piece of good news: our country had developed an antibiotic with unique curative effects—"Gentamicin."

This was a type of antibiotic, but it was one of the few heat-stable antibiotics.

Explaining it in more detail was useless; it could only be said that this discovery could save more patients.

Gu Ning mentioned this discovery in her phone call to him; their training class was following up on this project.

She showed enough professional enthusiasm for medicine; she, who was introverted and reclusive, could actually maintain normal communication and cooperation with patients.

Sometimes Li Xuewu was also curious about how she communicated with patients, but she hadn't explained it in detail.

But as for medical books, as long as Gu Ning liked them, he would keep in mind to collect them.

On the bookshelf in the study on the second floor, his books were very few, leaving only theoretical books; the others were Gu Ning's professional books, all of which he helped find.

It wasn't just him paying attention; he had also talked about this with relatives and friends, and any good medical books would be sent home for Gu Ning to read.

This unique pampering was a gift for which Gu Ning had expressed gratitude to Li Xuewu on one of the few occasions she took the initiative.

The news that Vice Factory Director Yin Zhongyao of the Metallurgical Factory was under formal investigation still spread, and everyone didn't feel surprised.

Li Xuewu didn't pay attention to the news in the institution; if there was anything wrong, whether it was Zhang Jing or Sun Jia, they would take the initiative to report to him. After all, he wasn't deaf or blind, and Zhang Enyuan was very clever.

The phone on the desk rang; there weren't many calls that could be made directly to his office. So Li Xuewu didn't hesitate and picked it up.

"Hmm, I am Li Xuewu."

The call was from Wu Shuping, Vice President of the Architectural Engineering Corporation, regarding the discussion report on the construction of a world-class standard hotel with a hundred-meter high-rise.

"The detailed report is already on the way, but how the expert group calculates it, even if we have the Group's own advantages in design, technology, construction, etc., the total cost absolutely cannot come down below ten million yuan."

She hesitated slightly on the phone and said, "The preliminary assessment given by the expert group is twelve million."

"Hmm, ten million... twelve million..." Li Xuewu thought while repeating her report, then nodded and said, "That's enough."

"What's enough?" Wu Shuping said in surprise, "You must not be impulsive."

"Of course I won't be impulsive; it's not my money, why would I be impulsive." Li Xuewu said amusedly, "My meaning is, just ten million, that's enough to bluff; this isn't even a matter."

Wu Shuping on the other end of the phone was speechless; what was this all about? Financing is financing, how can it be called bluffing? The Secretary-General is too unprofessional.

She came from a Southeast Asian family and had been exposed to family-style education since childhood, as well as the influence of her father and brothers in the business world, which made her understand economics and trade early on.

It was when she was in university that she suddenly developed a strong interest in physics, which was why she didn't choose a major related to business and trade.

She wasn't short of money; after graduation, she married her husband and came to the mainland together to support educational construction.

When she was helping Li Xuewu manage the Shunfeng Trade Joint Venture in Tianjin, she had a chance to show her skills, which really let Li Xuewu see what a big family foundation was.

After all, it was a merchant family; her perspective and thinking on problems had a certain professional and practical experience.

Apart from the opinions of her sister-in-law Zhao Yafang on finance, the only management advice Li Xuewu could listen to in enterprise management was Wu Shuping's management advice.

If it came to investment, Wu Shuping could argue with him for a while, and in the end, he would be the one defeated.

But when it came to real enterprise operation, Li Xuewu could always do some things that she couldn't understand but were effective.

For example, this time, the Santa Ya Group threw out bait, wanting to engage in some international standard hotel; this thing looked tempting, but in the end, it was a chicken rib.

Tasteless to eat, a pity to discard.

Think about it, how much consumption potential is there in Beijing in this era? How high would the vacancy rate be if such a big hotel were built?

If you really want to waste money and manpower to engage in construction and face-saving projects, you can't engage in such a big battle all at once.

Her opinion was to slow down, wait until the timing was ripe, and then plan, and there was no need to pay attention to the ulterior motives of the Santa Ya Group. In this world, how could he eat the sugar-coated shell and hit the cannonball back every time?

But Li Xuewu just didn't believe in this evil; he said something very confidently to her and then hung up the phone.

In fact, she had already understood Li Xuewu's meaning on the phone; it was nothing more than the old trick of borrowing a chicken to lay eggs.

It's just that Li Xuewu did it more ruthlessly; he intended to eat the bait thrown by the Santa Ya Group, but didn't want to invest a penny, and even wanted to calculate against the other side.

Twelve million, if there was no investment from the Steel Group, where could this money be raised?

Could he print it himself?

This statement made no sense. In Li Xuewu's view, printing money wasn't as fast as robbing money, and robbing money wasn't as fast as capital operation; what he wanted to play was capital operation.

After hanging up Wu Shuping's phone, he called the Red Star United Savings Bank.

Sister Xie was very surprised to receive his call and took the initiative to mention the matter of Vice President Chen Dajun. She knew that Li Xuewu's personality was relatively strong and couldn't stand procrastination and hypocrisy, wondering if Chen Dajun should be transferred back to Beijing.

Li Xuewu didn't pay attention to her on this point, but smiled and introduced the project of the world-class first high-rise building.

Sister Xie thought Li Xuewu hadn't woken up when she first heard Li Xuewu talk about these things, and was babbling with her. But as the introduction and explanation on the phone deepened, she gradually understood that Li Xuewu was playing the trick of "empty-handed white wolf" again this time.

"If you want to raise funds, you have to come up with a reliable plan." Sister Xie didn't look favorably on this project either, and she said on the phone, "The first high-rise sounds good, but what is it for after it's built? Just eating, drinking, living, and playing?"

"How long do you think it will take to build a hundred-meter high-rise?" Li Xuewu explained the project for the first time on the phone, "The feasibility report from the Engineering Construction Corporation says it will take three years."

"Let's not talk about whether the construction period is advanced or delayed; let's just talk about these three years." He emphasized, "Compared to three years ago and now, think about the changes between now and three years later; do you dare to say it's not needed?"

"Besides, I didn't say we would build the building now; I need you to help me provide a capital operation demonstration to see if there is room to raise funds."

Li Xuewu glanced at the calendar pressed under the glass of the desk and said, "I'll have the engineering company send you a demonstration report for your reference."

"Demonstration, is it really just a demonstration?"

Sister Xie knew Li Xuewu too well, and also knew his work efficiency too well; she didn't believe in any demonstration.

This person Li Xuewu always had a brain when doing things; what he said he wanted to do now, he had actually made preparations for long ago, and even had a sufficient plan.

So in the Group meetings, as long as it was a suggestion or opinion he put forward, ordinary people had to think carefully before answering; otherwise, they would be refuted by him until they were riddled with holes.

"A demonstration wouldn't take three years, not even a year." Sister Xie smiled bitterly, "I'm afraid that before our demonstration comes out, you have already started building."

"Hey, that won't happen." Li Xuewu replied with a smile, "The engineering volume this time is too large; I won't feel at ease if I don't pull in a few more capitals."

He reminded Sister Xie meaningfully, "There's no need to deliberately keep this matter secret, right?"

"Got it, got it." Sister Xie responded with a helpless smile, "But our bank won't invest too much; it's twelve million."

"Don't say that too early." Li Xuewu said confidently, "On the day of the public offering, you won't be able to invest even if you want to."

"I really hope you aren't bragging, or bluffing me." Sister Xie said sincerely, "I hope there will be a day when you refuse me to invest further."

"Rest assured, that day won't be too far away."

Li Xuewu said confidently, "In three years, many things will change; you can believe me."

"Hehe, good, I believe you."

Sister Xie also rarely saw Li Xuewu so confident, so she responded with a smile.

With the endorsement of the United Savings Bank, financing for this project wouldn't be difficult; the difficulty was seeing who was easy to bluff.

In those years, were there few "first" high-rises that were left unfinished?