Chapter 1438: Children

"Secretary-General, was the journey smooth?"

Han Jiankun was guarding the platform; he saw Li Xuewu as soon as he got off the train and trotted over to welcome him.

Li Xuewu smiled and handed the luggage in his hand to him, saying, "Are you not busy today?"

"Nothing much, quite idle."

Han Jiankun smiled and reached out to take the suitcase handed over by the train attendant; this one was a bit heavy.

The Red Star Steel Group's sign is very useful at the Beijing station, so Han Jiankun could come to the platform to pick him up.

This sign is useful, but it doesn't mean it's useful in all railway systems.

Being able to have a train attendant help carry luggage was still because they looked at his work certificate; the position on it was a bit intimidating.

The train conductor didn't appear; he just didn't know how to receive him, so he used the excuse of being busy and didn't come over.

Li Xuewu naturally wouldn't care about these vain things; even if there were no train attendants to help, he wasn't seventy or eighty and couldn't lift luggage.

"It's better to be a bit busy; don't be so polite next time, just arrange a car to come."

Li Xuewu patted his arm, and the two walked toward the outside of the platform together.

Every time he came back, he would greet the group, and there would be a car arranged by the Comprehensive Management Department to pick him up.

But eight out of ten times, Han Jiankun came personally, unless there was urgent work he couldn't leave.

"Really nothing much, idle is idle."

Han Jiankun walked beside him and explained with a smile, "I sent Jingru and the mother and child first before coming to pick you up. If the train hadn't been late, we would be eating by the time we got home."

"No way, encountered some situations on the road."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I thought it would be two or three hours late; I didn't expect the driver to chase time so fiercely, only half an hour late."

"I could have guessed; it's always late."

Han Jiankun left the station exit and walked toward the parking lot first, while Li Xuewu walked behind carrying small items.

Although it wasn't his first time returning to Beijing, comparing comprehensively, the number of people entering and leaving the train station this time was significantly less than after the beginning of the year.

The exit was no longer so crowded, and the figures of scattered, aimless young people were long gone.

It must be said that the sweeping wind is thorough; not a single grain of dust can remain, and the power is evident.

He wasn't being sentimental or pretentious, wanting to say something for those young people; he was just moved by the changes of the era, which were so sudden.

"The public security situation in the capital has improved quite a bit."

Having already put the luggage in the trunk, Han Jiankun came back to take the small bag in his hand. Seeing him looking at the situation at the train station, he knew what he was thinking.

He introduced it in one sentence and didn't say anything more; after putting the small bag away, he went to open the car door.

Li Xuewu just stood in the parking lot and looked a few times, heard Han Jiankun's introduction, didn't say anything, nodded, and got into the car.

A new-style Shanghai sedan; in the case of insufficient production capacity of the Great Red Flag, it became synonymous with the number one of the region.

Of course, for Red Star Steel Group, which has been flourishing in tertiary industrial enterprises and even promoted group-style, the Shanghai sedan is nothing.

If it weren't for the tight import channels for cars in the past few years and the strict quotas for Great Red Flags, the group leaders would have long changed cars.

The Shanghai sedan is only considered decent in Red Star Steel Group; if things go smoothly, the Tianjin Trade Management Center and the International Business Department will open import channels this year, and the group leaders will definitely change cars by then.

There is money, so if you don't spend it on the blade, do you want to spend it on the handle?

"Dongdong is eight months old, right?" Li Xuewu, sitting in the passenger seat, asked, "Can he crawl yet?"

"Just about, he can sit by himself."

Han Jiankun heard him ask about his precious daughter and also introduced with a smile, "He can grab things, but crawling is difficult."

"No rush, very normal."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Li Shu's development was fast when she was young; everything was earlier than children of the same age. By the time it got to Li Ning, it wasn't working; it was a bit slow."

"Li Ning is also sensible; he even knows how to give Dongdong toys." Han Jiankun turned his head and glanced at him, "When I came out, he wanted to come with me to pick you up."

"I heard from his mother; he knows how to be naughty now." Li Xuewu chatted with Han Jiankun about children without any fatigue; he was looking forward to getting home early.

"Can Li Ning be naughtier than Li Shu?"

Han Jiankun took the opportunity to complain, "When I sent Jingru and the mother and child home, she was flying over the eaves and walking on walls on the wall; Er Ya was scared to tears."

"Sigh—" Li Xuewu, as a father, could only smile bitterly and sigh in the car.

He wanted to fly home immediately, grab his daughter, and give her a few slaps to scare her.

But he himself knew that as soon as he got home and saw his daughter's fawning, he wouldn't be able to be serious at all.

He only came home twice a month; he didn't have enough time to get close to his daughter and son, so how could he bear to educate them?

It's just that he wants to be a kind father, but he has to wrong Gu Ning to be a strict mother. He knows Gu Ning's thoughts on the children—serious on the surface, but actually very concerned.

Gu Ning was hurt when she was young, so she naturally doesn't want the children to be hurt again.

Li Shu has been afraid of her since she was young, but Gu Ning hasn't touched her with a finger; it was Li Xuewu who was anxious and wanted to slap her, but Li Shu just wasn't afraid of him.

"I actually hope Dongdong will be as brave as Li Shu when she grows up; it's better for a girl to be a bit more powerful."

Han Jiankun held the steering wheel with both hands, and somehow came out with this sentence.

Li Xuewu looked at him with a smile and said, "Why? Starting to worry at this time?"

He shook his head amusedly and said, "Children don't follow their mothers; things in the future still have to be seen slowly."

"I was telling Jingru."

Han Jiankun was also someone who could speak his heart; at this moment, he didn't look like the reticent person he was when he was Li Xuewu's driver; his words hadn't stopped.

"She asked me if I liked girls or boys, and I told her I liked girls more."

Speaking of this, he smiled and said, "This is not perfunctory to her, nor is it deceiving her; I just like little girls; they are much cuter than little boys."

"But, watching her grow up day by day, my heart feels like—"

Han Jiankun turned his head and glanced at Li Xuewu, smiling and saying, "Thinking about whether she will be bullied when she marries in the future, my heart—"

"You have to think about it this way: Jingru married you; did you bully Jingru?" Li Xuewu persuaded him, "Everyone wants their children to be happy; always thinking about the bad side, when will it end?"

"Besides, life is lived by oneself; one day counts as one day; who can guarantee it will be smooth, harmonious, and beautiful."

He raised his chin and said, "I advise you, live your life well, cherish every day with your family; being able to guarantee not wasting time is a blessing."

These words were said to Han Jiankun, and they were also his own feelings. If he didn't have family, he would be a rootless duckweed in this world; what would be the point of living?

Being filial to parents is giving an account to one's own life; raising children is giving an account to one's own walk.

Walking through this world once, you have to do something and leave something behind; otherwise, wouldn't it be too much of a loss?

Next life?

Stop joking; you haven't lived this life clearly, and you're still thinking about the illusory next life?

Li Xuewu is an atheist, a firm materialist; when people die, it's like a lamp going out; there is no next life.

Biology explains this life from arrival to departure very clearly; every minute and every second must be worthy of oneself, so as not to remember many regrets before leaving.

The words he said seemed like clichés and grand principles, but Han Jiankun could listen to them.

His mother had a rift with him because of the children, and in a fit of anger, she went to his eldest brother's place.

Han Jiankun is naturally broad-minded and simple in character; being filial to his mother is a matter of course.

His eldest brother also knew this, so when the old lady went there angrily, the phone call back didn't have a single complaint, only urging him to take good care of Qin Jingru and the children.

Brothers must have this kind of feeling; if you really sow discord, then this life won't be livable.

Qin Jingru kept persuading him to go to his eldest brother's house to pick up his mother, but Han Jiankun had his own ideas. He had several phone calls with his eldest brother and knew his mother's health was quite good, so he didn't rush to pick her up.

The old lady is old, and her partner left very suddenly, so her temper is a bit strange.

He couldn't quarrel or fight with his mother, so it was better to live separately for a period of time; gathering together again later, they could miss each other and cherish this relationship and fate.

What he was thinking about wasn't his own relationship and fate with his mother; that is chosen by heaven between mother and son.

The old saying is good: people don't dislike their mother for being ugly, and dogs don't dislike their home for being poor; that's the truth.

What he was thinking about was that his mother should cherish the relationship and fate with Qin Jingru and the children.

The child fell into his house; you can't look down on her just because she's a girl; what would that become?

"Men, the most difficult position to stand in is between the wife and the mother."

The car turned into the street, and Han Jiankun said with emotion, "Fortunately, Jingru is sensible, and my mother is not a heartless person, which finally let me catch my breath."

"Saying it's so difficult—"

Li Xuewu looked at him amusedly and said, "You've only just begun; haven't seen quarreling and fighting, have you?"

He watched Han Jiankun park the car steadily and turned his head to say, "When you get home, ask Jingru about the stories in our courtyard before; you won't call it hard anymore."

"Hehehe—"

With Qin Jingru's big mouth, the neighbors in the courtyard—there's not one whose affairs he doesn't know.

What do husband and wife say before going to sleep at night?

They can't talk about those things in the quilt every day; each other's parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles have all been talked about, so it's time to talk about gods, ghosts, and strange anecdotes.

During this period, they have to intersperse stories about neighbors, or old neighborhood stories they saw.

Just like when a neighbor encounters a strange thing, they will tell the situation of his family.

There is no circle of friends in this era, and no short videos; after turning off the lights to save electricity and lying on the kang unable to sleep, they must talk about gossip.

Why is the relationship between husband and wife good in this era? Because they draw closer to each other through these conversations.

Think about it: tired all day, busy all day, only having time to talk about gossip at night.

And the object you talk about gossip with is only the person on the pillow; naturally, you treat the other party as the most important person.

Later generations have too many channels to vent; if there are gaps and contradictions between husband and wife, if they don't deal with them, they either talk to their best friends or Xiaohongshu; if this stuff worked, what the hell would you need a marriage certificate for?

"Yeah—who is this?"

In the car, Li Xuewu still said he was going to educate his daughter, but as soon as he got home, before he even entered the door, he was already bewildered by his daughter.

Li Shu held a large handful of flowers, deliberately hiding her little face behind the flowers, and walked toward him like this.

Li Xuewu's heart had long been melted by his daughter; at this time, he only knew how to accompany his daughter to act.

"Giggle—"

When she walked close to her father and suddenly flashed a smile, looking at her father's full expression of surprise, Li Shu couldn't hold it anymore and giggled.

"Oh my, scared Daddy!"

Li Xuewu didn't act so seriously when accompanying Li Huai De and that group of people; his daughter was truly his lifeblood.

"Daddy, I missed you."

Li Shu knew how to act spoiled; her little hands hugged his neck and wouldn't let go, her little face sticking over one after another.

You tell me, who wouldn't be bewildered when they came?

Li Ning?

Are you talking about the son who was holding a handful of dogtail grass and learning from his sister to come over?

Fine, fine, fine, they are all Daddy's good children.

Li Xuewu had already accepted it; this child learns from his sister everywhere, but can always play with some new tricks.

What is the effect of holding forty-something pounds in the left hand and thirty-something pounds in the right hand?

No need to think; Li Xuewu could hold them even if it were doubled; this is the glory of being a father.

"I've been seeing Daddy; they haven't stopped since morning."

Qin Jingru stood at the door holding the child and said to Li Xuewu with a smile, "If you didn't come back, Li Shu would have ridden her bike to the intersection to pick you up."

"Then next time Li Shu rides her bike to the train station to pick up Daddy, okay?"

Li Xuewu looked at his daughter with a smile and asked, "You carry Daddy back."

"Okay—"

Li Shu really dared to say it; she didn't even know where the train station was; she dared to agree to anything.

Li Ning reached out and pulled his face, looking at him with burning eyes; the meaning was that he would go too.

"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled and kissed him, saying, "You go too; Daddy has a lot of luggage, and a child's bike really can't bring it back."

Li Ning got the same emotional value as his sister; at this moment, he held his little hands and laughed out loud.

Is there any sound more intoxicating than children's laughter?

"Iya—"

The little girl held in Qin Jingru's arms saw Li Shu and Li Ning being held, and curiously pointed at Li Xuewu, saying something in her mouth.

Li Xuewu looked at her with a smile and said, "Dongdong, you've gained weight again."

This child is quite sensible; she brought her own rations, and quite a lot too.

"Tell Grandpa, have you gained weight?"

Qin Jingru teased her daughter with a smile, looked at her daughter and asked, "You say Grandpa, I've gained another pound and a half."

"It's good to be fat; grow up quickly."

Li Xuewu put down Li Shu and Li Ning, stretched out his finger for the little girl to hold, and said with a smile, "Grow up and buy wine for your dad to drink."

"Hehehe—" Han Jiankun moved the luggage into the house and laughed out loud when he heard this sentence.

Qin Jingru smiled and hugged her daughter, saying, "Hurry into the house; the weather is strange and hot; Sister Ning said she'll be back in a while."

"She doesn't have surgery today?"

Li Xuewu changed his slippers at the door and walked into the house, clearly feeling it was cooler inside.

It wasn't the coolness of shade, but the coolness in the air; he had air conditioning at home.

This was something that guy Ji Weidong got; from installation to use, it took a lot of effort.

Do you think you can buy whatever electrical appliance you want in this era, and use the public circuit as you please?

Of course not; using lights and phones is fine, and low-power appliances are no problem, but if you want to connect high-power appliances, it's a bit troublesome.

Why?

The wires in this era are all aluminum wires, and they are twisted together from multiple strands; after a long time, white powder will scatter when they are dismantled, which is the result of being unable to bear the load.

It wasn't until the year 2000 that the national power reform replaced multi-strand aluminum wires with copper wires, achieving the freedom to use high-power appliances.

Li Xuewu's deepest impression is that there are always candles at home, because the power often goes out.

Especially during the Spring Festival, it goes out nine out of ten years, and the Spring Festival Gala is often watched halfway.

So some people will say your childhood and my childhood seem different.

To make the electrical appliances at home run normally, the fuse not melt, and the transformer not trip, you can only change the wires and routes, and change the wire from the transformer to the house.

Are there no copper wires in this era?

Of course there are, but the output of copper hasn't come up at this time, and the production cost of copper wire is too high.

If you have the conditions and your home is relatively close to the transformer, you can spend your own money to change it and use a separate line.

Li Xuewu's family being able to enjoy air conditioning cooling also cost a lot of money.

Why are Qin Jingru and the mother and child here?

Not only today, but during the days Li Xuewu was not at home, after entering the dog days of summer, Qin Jingru was afraid the children would suffer, so she often came here to escape the heat.

Gu Ning actually hoped she would come more; Li Tang is the same age as Li Ning, both two and a half years old.

Eldest sister-in-law Zhao Yafang is pregnant, so it's inconvenient to take care of the children; Li Ning has to be sent to his grandmother's house, but the old lady can't take care of him, so it's best to keep him at home.

But with the two siblings at home, Er Ya can't take care of them either; having Qin Jingru come to make up the numbers is just right.

Zhao Yaping went home for summer vacation to help, Xiaoxiao only comes at night and on Sundays; Gu Ning has grown up a lot in the past half year and has also matured a lot.

Taking care of children, managing the family, and having to balance studies and work—this is too tempering.

When she returned from the hospital and saw Li Xuewu, she had a feeling of wanting to cry.

On one hand, it was excitement; on the other hand, it was grievance.

Li Xuewu wanted to pull her hand, but she felt there were too many people at home, so she was embarrassed.

Han Jiankun and Qin Jingru smiled and avoided their eyes, going to tease the children, while Er Ya went to the kitchen to get busy.

The couple stood in the living room, watching the children play, looking at each other; there was so much they wanted to say.

Li Shu is four and a half, Li Ning is two and a half, Han Lidong is eight months; can the three children play together?

This depends on Li Shu's meaning; she has become the big sister, and whatever toys they want to play with is up to her.

Han Lidong doesn't know how to play; he just sits there watching his brother and sister play, grabbing a handful from time to time.

"I thought you would be back the day before yesterday."

Qin Jingru saw the couple couldn't let go, so she took the initiative to bring up a new topic.

"Jiankun told me that the group leaders went to Liaodong for negotiations and came back, so I thought you came back together."

"No, the work wasn't finished."

Li Xuewu shook his head slightly, walked to the sofa and sat down, his eyes watching the three children playing on the ground, and explained, "General Manager Gao and General Manager Cheng were in a hurry to come back for something."

"Is there another big project?"

Qin Jingru asked curiously, "Do we need to transfer a large number of people from the capital this time?"

"It's a new project, a big project."

Li Xuewu raised his head and looked at her, smiling and saying, "But it doesn't involve new processes, and it won't transfer a large number of workers there; engineers are possible."

"He told me that there have been frequent organizational personnel changes in the group recently, and he's afraid of being transferred."

Qin Jingru glanced at Han Jiankun, her gaze seemingly blaming him for not asking when he had something to ask.

What is the relationship between their couple and Li Xuewu? Since there is this kind of private relationship, as long as it doesn't violate work discipline, what is there to be afraid of asking?

Han Jiankun was both worried about being transferred and afraid of causing trouble for Li Xuewu, so he didn't dare to ask.

It was still Qin Jingru whose personality was more straightforward, and she didn't have any psychological burden.

"What's there to be afraid of being transferred; the distance isn't far."

Li Xuewu looked at Han Jiankun with a smile and deliberately teased him, "Now taking a boat from Steel City, it takes less than two days to reach Liangma River; it's very fast."

"The more you say, the more afraid I get."

Han Jiankun pointed to Dongdong playing on the ground with a bitter smile and said, "I can't leave the children."

Everyone says a good man has ambitions in all four directions, but once you have children, the father can't go far.

"Who wants to leave their children?"

Li Xuewu looked down at his children, his mouth carrying a bit of helplessness, and said, "It would be best to live with your children for a lifetime; this is just a wish."

Han Jiankun and Qin Jingru's family ate dinner at home before leaving; when they left, the children were all asleep.

Mainly, Han Jiankun wanted to see him and talk about recent work; there was the worry of being transferred, and also the frequent changes in the group's organizational structure before group-style.

Li Xuewu also explained to him that this situation is very normal; the group leaders want to adjust the organizational structure before the official group-style, to facilitate next year's organizational work.

Once group-style is completed, Red Star Steel Group will be operated under a magnifying glass; any disturbance will be magnified, and management will be very inconvenient.

As for whether Han Jiankun will move or not, Li Xuewu actually couldn't say; he wasn't in the capital, and he was no longer responsible for the daily management of the Comprehensive Management Department, so he didn't know much about many things.

This is a process of gain and loss.

He can decide almost all the problems of the group's industrial enterprises in Liaodong, but at the group level, he has to give up something; grabbing everything in his hands—isn't that just tiring himself to death?

"Are you angry with me?" The moon was in the middle of the sky; Li Xuewu came out of the bathroom, walked to the bedside, sat down next to Gu Ning, held her hand, and said, "I haven't been back for a month and a half; I'm sorry."

"No, there's nothing at home."

Gu Ning pulled her hand, but didn't pull it away; it was Li Xuewu who was holding her.

Saying she wasn't angry might be true, but saying there wasn't a bit of resentment and grievance was impossible.

"Where is the graduation certificate? Why don't you show it to me?" Li Xuewu teased her with a smile, "You are more powerful than me again; I want to catch up but can't."

"How could that be—" Gu Ning was also embarrassed; he was too good at talking.

"You are the most learned person in our family now, with a higher academic qualification than Big Brother and Sister-in-law."

Li Xuewu lay on his side beside her, looked at her with a smile, and said, "Let me interview you; may I ask, for winning this honor, does Doctor Gu have any words of thanks?" 【14

He really knew how to put on a show, even using his fist as a microphone and holding it up to Gu Ning's lips.

Gu Ning looked at the fist in front of her with amusement, then looked at Li Xuewu, and made a gesture as if to bite him.

"It's an interview, say whatever comes to mind."

Li Xuewu smiled and withdrew his fist, but reached out to touch her face, saying, "Don't be naughty."

Gu Ning gave him a shy and coquettish glare, turned over, and replied, "I have no comments."

"How can that be—"

Li Xuewu refused to give up, leaned in closer, and asked, "Strictly speaking, your academic achievements are higher than our father's now; don't you have anything you want to say?"

Seeing Gu Ning close her eyes and pretend not to hear, he rolled his eyes and said with a mischievous smile, "When I left the Steel City, Banggeng even asked me if we should hold a banquet to celebrate, just like we did when we got married..."

"You dare—" Gu Ning was mortified. Although she knew he was teasing her on purpose, she couldn't help but blush and glare at him.

This bad man was so infuriatingly serious while spouting nonsense!

Li Xuewu chuckled and hugged her, saying, "What do I not dare to do? My wife has achieved academic success and is saving lives and healing the wounded; shouldn't we celebrate?"

"If you dare to go out and brag about it, I will ignore you—" Gu Ning gave him a very serious warning and ultimatum. How serious was it? It meant she would ignore him.

In Gu Ning's world, the most serious crisis between a couple is the silent treatment.

Her personality is somewhat withdrawn and introverted, but she hopes her other half is cheerful, responsible, and can give her infinite security.

Gu Ning cannot be proactive, so she hopes Li Xuewu can be, preferably like this... acting silly...

If you like someone, even his silliness is good.

Of course, in Li Xuewu's eyes, Gu Ning is gentle, proper, virtuous, and intelligent.

The couple are the best in each other's eyes, so a short separation is better than a new marriage, and tonight is especially romantic.

How romantic is it?

Both wild and slow—

"This isn't our first day working together, and it's certainly not our first collaboration, right?"

After the conference room had been filled with sharp words and intense debate, Li Xuewu spoke up with a smile.

He first looked at Gao Yaqin, who was presiding over the negotiations, and then looked at the Mercedes vice president opposite him.

This person also had a deep background; having fallen so hard at the Red Star Steel Group last time, he was still able to sit firmly at the negotiating table this time as a business executive.

"I think that instead of getting hung up on whether the future will be 1% more or 1% less, we should build the project first."

Li Xuewu turned his head to look at He Yu Shui, the general manager of the International Hotel who was responsible for the project's coordination, and asked, "Has the Beijing Municipal Management Committee approved the relevant procedures?"

"Basically, it has been completed."

He Yu Shui was not a core member of the negotiation team, but as the general manager of the International Hotel and the final operational head of the project, she was present at today's negotiation.

"You see, we still attach great importance to this project; these procedures are not something an ordinary person can get done."

Li Xuewu looked at Mercedes, tapped the document in front of him with his finger, and reminded him very seriously, "I can clearly tell you that the Santaia Group is the first foreign company allowed to participate in the construction of a major project for our group; whether there will be others in the future is another matter."

"If this cooperation goes smoothly and the results satisfy all parties, then I can say that the Santaia Group has infinite possibilities in the domestic market."

Mercedes looked at him, then at Gao Yaqin, and did not rush to give a definitive answer, still hesitating and thinking inwardly.

Li Xuewu's sudden appearance at the final negotiation meeting, which was also the most important one, caught him off guard.

From the very beginning of this project, he had been worried that Li Xuewu would appear in the negotiation team.

Fortunately, the headache-inducing "foreign affairs expert" Li Xuewu had not participated in the negotiations for this project.

He had also heard that Li Xuewu had gone to Liaodong to preside over the group's industrial enterprise management work.

But this project was negotiated by President Chantal herself in Liaodong, and he was not yet sure of the specific situation.

Ever since he caused big trouble for the group last time, his work authority in the mainland had been restricted.

Within the negotiation framework provided by Chantal, he was responsible for completing this series of negotiation tasks.

The 1% more or less that Li Xuewu mentioned represented not only the future profits of both sides but also his ability to control the negotiation situation and project management.

The 1% on the contract now doesn't show much, but once the building starts construction and enters formal operation, this 1% is money, even calculated in the millions.

Li Xuewu had suddenly come to attend the final negotiation meeting; he hadn't said much during the first half of the meeting, having been listening to the discussions between the two sides.

Even though he hadn't spoken, he had brought a certain amount of pressure to Mercedes; today, Gao Yaqin was firing on all cylinders, leaving him unable to counter.

And as the negotiation reached its end, Li Xuewu's sudden intervention became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Li Xuewu had not participated in the specific negotiations, nor had he scrutinized the contract details, but had intervened from another angle.

He didn't talk about contract details; he talked about the impact of the project and the necessity of finalizing it as soon as possible.

This was exactly the goal pursued by the Santaia Group and the group president, Chantal.

If you wanted to say he didn't agree with this plan and wanted to hold another discussion meeting, would that work?

It would work, but it wasn't necessary.

The conditions were basically set; continuing to talk would just be a waste of time for both sides, as they were fighting for the initiative.

Li Xuewu didn't talk to him about the initiative, but instead talked about the impact and the timeline, which really hit his soft spot.

Leading a negotiation doesn't require participating in everything, nor does it necessarily require meticulous research and investigation; his appearance was meant to be the final word.

Why Li Xuewu appeared at the final negotiation meeting was Li Huai De's arrangement.

He had only been on vacation for a few days; how could he be willing to sacrifice time with his family to work?

There was no way around it; his vacation time had already been scheduled by Li Huai De, and the schedule had been delivered by Liu Bin.

In the past, Old Li's schedule was always reviewed by him, and he never gave Old Li any time to slack off.

Now Old Li's revenge had come, and he had made a schedule for him too; wasn't this turning the world upside down!

Complaining about Old Li was a given, but with the work right in front of him, he couldn't not do it.

So Li Shu and Li Ning were in the lounge next door, and Wang Lu was accompanying them to play games.

Bringing children to the workplace was an attitude in itself: Old Li, don't go too far!

Old Li was even better at making things difficult, paying for his secretary Liu Bin to buy a pile of snacks and toys; he really knew how to grab Li Xuewu's soft spot.

"I was completely unprepared for you to attend the meeting; this is very surprising to me."

Since he had to accept it, he had to accept it; Mercedes had to agree with Li Xuewu's recent remarks that time and efficiency were the most important things. Chantal didn't care about that 1%; that was a test for him, not for Red Star Steel.

If he deliberately ruined this project, that would be the worst situation.

It was just that when he accepted it, he was still somewhat unwilling, and he looked at Li Xuewu and said this.

Gao Yaqin looked at him with amusement, then looked at Li Xuewu, her gaze somewhat meaningful.

Can this foreigner still sow discord?

Mercedes prided himself on his seamless speech, and Li Xuewu and Gao Yaqin might not be able to hear it, but he had overestimated the emotional intelligence of Europeans and underestimated the depth of thousands of years of Chinese civilization.

A second-generation rich kid like him wouldn't survive three months at Red Star Steel Group; those old bureaucrats could play him to death.

By elevating Li Xuewu and deliberately neglecting Gao Yaqin, he meant that Gao Yaqin was inferior to Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu had already stated that Red Star Steel Group and Santaia Group were not working together for the first time, and he, Mercedes, was not working in the mainland for the first time either; could he not distinguish who held a higher position between Li Xuewu and Gao Yaqin?

Of course he could distinguish it; this was deliberate.

Otherwise, why would Gao Yaqin look at Li Xuewu with amusement? The foreign fox is so naive—

"Actually, I think it's the same whoever negotiates."

Li Xuewu stood up with a smile, took the initiative to reach out his hand, and said, "We share the same ideals and goals as the Santaia Group; we have no doubt about this."

"We also firmly believe that friendship can overcome all difficulties and bring us new opportunities for cooperation."

"Of course, we believe that too."

Mercedes stood up unwillingly, shook hands with him, and said, "I hope our cooperation is pleasant."

"It's a win-win situation—"

After letting go of his hand, Li Xuewu pointed at him and walked out very gracefully.

Gao Yaqin shook hands with him politely and left with Li Xuewu with a smile.

The Santaia Group's negotiation team was hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office and the project's communication team.

Why would Gao Yaqin and Li Xuewu need to stay here all the time? It wasn't as if Chantal had come in person.

Li Xuewu's graceful departure proved his confidence in this project and also showed that his influence in the group was becoming increasingly powerful.

Only enough self-confidence can support an interesting soul.

"Secretary-General, is the negotiation over?"

Wang Lu heard the noise in the corridor, poked her head out of the lounge, and greeted him when she saw him come out.

Li Xuewu looked at her with a smile, nodded, and asked, "Have Li Shu and Li Ning been good?"

"They're a bit sleepy and want to sleep."

Wang Lu looked back at the children, stepped aside, and explained, "Liu Bin bought a lot of things, saying Director Li told him to buy them; the two of them played all morning."

"Let's go, let's go get some more good things."

Li Xuewu walked into the lounge, hugged his daughter and son, and teased, "You want to dismiss us with just this? My vacation time is very precious."

"Do you want Auntie to hold you?"

Gao Yaqin, who had followed Li Xuewu out, saw him coaxing the children out, so she handed her notebook to the secretary beside her and teased Li Ning with a smile.

Li Ning looked at her and hugged his father's neck, a bit shy of strangers.

Li Shu was bolder; she patted her younger brother's back to comfort him: "Don't be afraid, brother, it's Dad's colleague."

"You must be Li Shu, you're so smart—"

Gao Yaqin smiled, reached out to pull her little hand, and said, "Have you started school yet?"

"Although this question is very cliché, I can still answer you out of politeness." Li Shu's precocious words made everyone present laugh.

Li Shu didn't know what they were laughing at, but she just said proudly, "I'm in kindergarten."

"Oh my, you're in kindergarten already; no wonder you're so smart."

Gao Yaqin looked at her with a smile and said, "When you have time, would you like your dad and mom to bring you and your brother to Auntie's house as guests? Auntie will buy you toys."

"My brother and I have a lot of toys."

Li Shu had heard her mother say that she shouldn't go with strangers, and even less should she go to a stranger's house, so she answered her question with a seemingly unrelated sentence.

Just as they were standing at the door chatting, Marketing Management Department Manager Huang Wenli and He Yu Shui came over to ask about publicity matters.

"Should we spread the news now?"

"What is your opinion?"

Gao Yaqin didn't rush to answer, but looked at Li Xuewu and asked.

Li Xuewu raised his chin and said, "Let the United Industrial News do an exclusive interview with both sides; it won't be too late to announce it after the contract is finalized."

"Publicizing and celebrating before the contract is even signed—if there are any changes, be careful, as it will be hard to undo."

"Did you hear that? Don't be in a hurry."

Gao Yaqin turned to Huang Wenli and said, then looked at He Yu Shui and instructed, "Go through the emergency plan again to ensure that the International Hotel's operations and management work normally during the construction period after the contract is signed."

The International Hotel is to be rebuilt; how can operations and management work normally?

Because the new site of the International Hotel is not on the original site, and it has the gimmick of being the tallest building, getting the land was easy; Li Xuewu drew the circle himself.

He drew circles on several key locations, letting Gao Yaqin and the others go negotiate with Beijing; whichever one they negotiated down would be a profit.

As for the original site of the International Hotel, after the new hotel is built, that side will be transformed into the office building for the sales headquarters.

"You guys stay busy, we're going back first."

Seeing Gao Yaqin instructing work, Li Xuewu hugged the two children and said goodbye: "Call me if anything comes up."

"You're leaving already?" Gao Yaqin greeted: "Aren't you going to sit in Director Li's office for a while?"

"I'm afraid he has other things to do."

Li Xuewu joked as he went downstairs; in fact, he wasn't afraid of Old Li finding trouble, but because he had other things to do.

Zheng Fuhua had invited him to dinner at noon.

It was also during this return to Beijing that Shen Fang called him to say that Director Zheng had officially retired, without any transition period.

Zheng Fuhua's age was actually not that old, and he could have worked for a few more years.

It was just that there were many reasons involved, and he lacked a certain amount of luck and connections, so he retired.

Shen Fang told him that Gao Zhen had indeed helped, but Gao Zhen himself was also full of trouble.

In Zheng Fuhua's own words, this was the best possible outcome.

Why did Zheng Fuhua want to invite him to dinner?

It was still the agreement from back then; Zheng Fuhua had always owed Li Xuewu a meal, which had been agreed upon, and he had to make up for it before retiring.

Li Xuewu had almost forgotten about this, as his current work had less contact with the Dongcheng Branch and Zheng Fuhua.

He was no longer responsible for security work, and even if there was contact, it was mostly with Wang Xiaoqin of the Third Guard Regiment.

Li Xuewu had taken the initiative to call, which was a way to thank the other party for taking care of him back then; in addition, he had some ideas, which was also something Shen Fang had called to ask him for help with.

After retiring, Zheng Fuhua was somewhat unaccustomed to the suddenly relaxed life; that string had been pulled too tight, and its sudden release made him feel lost.

Li Xuewu wanted to invite him to serve as a coach or instructor in the group's security department; such an experienced old comrade had too much residual heat to be utilized.