Chapter 1492: Industrial Electric Power

"Secretary-General, the time has come."

Sun Jia went to the office to remind Zhang Enyuan, and Zhang Enyuan came to notify Li Xuewu that the time for the research visit had arrived.

Li Xuewu took one last look at the document in his hand and instructed, "Help me find the comprehensive output of Liaodong coal for the second half of this year as soon as possible."

"Understood, I will have Wang Min run an errand."

When Zhang Enyuan entered, he took down the overcoat hanging by the door and helped Li Xuewu put it on after he stood up.

"Deputy Factory Director Zhou is already waiting."

There was no deliberate reminder, just a soft statement, with nothing further to add.

Li Xuewu did not speak; he simply and efficiently tidied up his desk, took the leader's briefcase and thermos, and followed behind to head out.

"Secretary-General."

"Comrade Zechuan, let's talk as we walk."

Zhou Zechuan was waiting at the stairwell; seeing Li Xuewu come out of the office, he took the initiative to greet him.

Li Xuewu nodded and gestured, "Time is a bit tight; a document delayed me."

The two had already greeted each other at the morning meeting, and they had dealt with each other before.

Seeing that Li Xuewu had no intention of being overly polite or making small talk, Zhou Zechuan felt a secret sigh of relief.

If Li Xuewu had been truly polite to him, he would have had to become nervous.

"The Energy Corporation is targeting the Steel City thermal power plant."

Li Xuewu did not hide his intentions at all, saying as they went downstairs, "Negotiations for an acquisition may be initiated soon, and the Group has arranged for me to be responsible for keeping an eye on it."

He had never thought Li Xuewu was just brushing him off.

Yes, it is true that some unit heads, in order to give a new member of the leadership team a show of power, deliberately make people wait a while.

But at least in Zhou Zechuan's understanding, Li Xuewu would absolutely never do such a thing.

You could say Li Xuewu was calculating, or you could say he was worldly-wise, but you could absolutely never say he was insidious or cunning, because this Secretary-General had never acted like a petty person.

A gentleman is open and honest, while a petty person is always worried.

Whatever the Secretary-General wanted to do, he always addressed it head-on and would never play underhanded tricks.

So when he heard he was coming to the Steel City Metallurgical Plant to take office, Zhou Zechuan's first feeling was not fear, but awe.

Petty people fear power but not virtue; gentlemen fear virtue but not power.

In the Group, in Liaodong Industry, and in the Metallurgical Plant, Li Xuewu had truly established both awe and virtue.

If he said he was held up by a document and delayed, it certainly wasn't a deliberate stalling tactic.

If he said he was looking at coal-related documents, it definitely wasn't a last-minute excuse to explain his situation.

Because Li Xuewu did not need to explain anything special to him.

From the Metallurgical Plant's Executive Deputy Factory Director Yang Zongfang on down, all members of the leadership team were absolute subordinates.

Never mind collective decisions; within the Liaodong Industry under the Group, Li Xuewu also possessed absolute power of speech, let alone in the Metallurgical Plant.

"I really haven't heard of this."

Zhou Zechuan walked half a step behind Li Xuewu, controlling his pace down the stairs with precision.

"Is this the first fire after General Manager Bu took office?"

"Hahaha—"

Hearing the joke from the former head of the Group's Supervision Department, who always presented a serious image, Li Xuewu truly laughed.

He nodded to a staff member standing at the bottom of the stairs and said, "It's not the first fire."

The group walked down the stairs and headed straight for the main gate. The security guards were already standing at the entrance of the lobby; when they approached, they opened the gate and saluted simultaneously.

Li Xuewu had personally created the Group's security system, and today, all the security guards who enjoyed the benefits of the system respected him from the bottom of their hearts; the salute was very standard.

However, Li Xuewu only smiled and nodded. Since he no longer served as the person in charge of security work, he had not returned a salute, at least not within the Group.

One could say he was deliberately downplaying this identity, or one could say he was putting Old Li at ease.

With a Secretary-General in the leadership team who possessed absolute influence over the security system and could mobilize absolute force at any time, Old Li might even be woken up by nightmares while sleeping.

Security cadres must be serious and earnest; business cadres must adapt to the environment and be flexible.

Do what you should do in your position, and don't let your past achievements hinder your progress.

Zhou Zechuan, walking behind him, felt this point particularly deeply. He had just arrived, and every little detail was a focus of his attention, as well as a sensitive point for his meticulous mind.

A Secretary-General who was comprehensively grasping the pulse of Liaodong Industry was also a powerful existence in the Group's leadership team.

There is a saying: gold shines wherever it is, but the Secretary-General's light made people feel flustered.

Who could have imagined that in less than a year, Li Xuewu had completely sorted out Liaodong Industry and was even steadily pushing forward business expansion in the second half of the year.

The infrastructure construction of the Steel City Red Star Industrial Zone, the deep cooperation between Steel Flight and Shen Flight, the comprehensive relocation of the rolling mill, the construction of the industrial exhibition hall, the construction of the Yingcheng Port area, the Ta-Dong Airport project...

No one in the Group dared to say that this Secretary-General was a figurehead or neglected his duties.

The Northern Industry News didn't count, but the construction speed of the Group's joint hospital, worker residential area, and sanatorium in Steel City was very fast, and even the expansion of underground three-defense projects in the industrial zone in response to the policy of "digging deep tunnels" did not delay the planning and speed of the industrial zone's infrastructure.

Just talking is not enough; such overall management and coordination ability was unmatched among the Group's young generation of cadres, and even among the Group's leaders, how many could achieve this?

Hunting on the mountain on weekends? Learning helicopter piloting skills? Going to the gym to practice wrestling and fighting?

These amateur activities, combined with his absolute ability and dazzling achievements, became his unique personal charm.

An image of an all-around iron man who could wrestle, fight, and use his brain was deeply ingrained in the hearts of employees throughout the Group.

Compared to other cadres who either drank tea or read newspapers during their rest time, this Secretary-General broke the employees' stereotypical perception of cadre images.

Young, capable, daring to act, and responsible—who wouldn't like or respect such a cadre?

Zhou Zechuan had only been here for half a day and hadn't even walked out of the office building, yet he could feel the influence and pressure from the Secretary-General everywhere in this new office environment.

Li Xuewu's mental state was positive and upward, and the working atmosphere of the entire Metallurgical Plant was also tense and upward.

Actually, there was no need to go down and look, let alone go to other units in the industrial zone; Zhou Zechuan believed it was the same everywhere, with Li Xuewu's symbols and imprints everywhere.

"It can be said to be the second fire."

Just as they walked out of the main gate and stepped down the stairs to get into the car, Li Xuewu said to him with a smile, "The first fire burned three department heads and two deputy department heads of the Energy Corporation. This is what you call ambitious and aspiring."

"Hahaha—"

Zhou Zechuan understood his subtext; sometimes there is no difference between ambition and aspiration.

If a business cadre has no ambition, it means he has no fighting spirit; if he has no aspiration, it means he has no means.

What achievements can a business cadre without fighting spirit and means make?

That's right, Li Xuewu was talking about Bu Qingfang now, but he was also truly pointing at him.

These words were telling him to actively adjust his mindset, to transform from his past identity as a supervision cadre to a business cadre, and to show aspiration and ambition.

Some say being a leader is tiring, with hidden mysteries in every word and sharpness hidden in every sentence.

Actually, that's not the case. Being accustomed to being concise and expressing one's opinions harmoniously and orderly with the simplest words and attitudes is called basic work ability.

If you don't have this ability, it means you need to learn and improve yourself, rather than self-dividing into classes.

Zhou Zechuan was a newcomer; did Li Xuewu have to bluntly remind him to pay attention to his identity transformation?

Wouldn't that relationship and attitude seem too stiff? The two were comrades, not teacher and student.

To add one more thing, this is also a common social perception: teachers are hard to get along with, and government office workers are "good old boys."

There is no complex social relationship between teachers and students; they are accustomed to being direct, and with increasing teaching pressure, they have lost their ability in social interaction.

But for government offices, where interpersonal relationships are the foundation of ability, social relationships are also an aspect of work.

If he didn't have his past achievements, I'm afraid Zhou Zechuan would just be a hollow shell upon arriving in Liaodong and the Metallurgical Plant.

The Group's arrangement for him to work at the Metallurgical Plant was definitely not simply wanting to kick him away; there are principles for the organization's selection and employment of personnel.

Li Xuewu would also not tolerate a cadre who knew nothing and had no work foundation to serve as the deputy factory director in charge of production at the Metallurgical Plant.

Personally bringing him down for research today, to the No. 4 furnace workshop, had the meaning of reminding and helping him.

Going to the No. 4 furnace was to remind him how his predecessor went down.

Going to the No. 4 furnace was also to help him; this was his predecessor's end, and also his starting point.

With the Secretary-General personally taking him to the No. 4 furnace workshop, his first step at the Metallurgical Plant could be considered steady.

This also showed Li Xuewu's recognition of him, to be shown to other cadres at the Metallurgical Plant.

A deputy factory director supported by the Secretary-General was faced with the requirement to take over production work as soon as possible.

Bu Qingfang was already preparing to burn the second fire at the Energy Corporation; how would he burn his three fires after arriving at the Metallurgical Plant?

"The problem should lie in the materials."

As the person in charge of the No. 4 furnace project rectification team, Wang Yizhou was under immense pressure.

It wasn't just the high work intensity, but also the recent series of storms that had left him exhausted.

Today, the Secretary-General brought the Metallurgical Plant's new deputy factory director in charge of production to the site for research, and he reported the major progress of the project for the first time.

"Following the elimination method, we conducted sampling and analysis by screening key points from the entire No. 4 furnace project."

Wang Yizhou pointed to the location on the drawing in his hand and then pointed to the actual location of the No. 4 furnace to introduce it.

"Right at that position, we determined that the construction materials were not up to standard, which may be the main reason for the No. 4 furnace safety production accident."

He looked at Li Xuewu and explained, "It's not that we cannot clearly state the problem; it's that the project volume is too large, and there are too many key points that need to be eliminated."

"Hmm, I can understand you."

Li Xuewu stood with his hands behind his back, examining the place he had just pointed to; in fact, he couldn't see anything unusual.

Isn't that nonsense? If it could be seen with the naked eye, Liu Yongnian would have found it months ago after investigating for months.

"Determine the location of the problem as soon as possible, and put the results and responsibilities on paper."

He turned his head to look at Wang Yizhou and said, "I also want to see the rectification plan for the No. 4 furnace as soon as possible."

"You should know that every day the No. 4 furnace is shut down, the losses caused are enormous."

"I know, we are working on it."

Wang Yizhou nodded and replied, "In the next few days, we will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the newly discovered problem areas and continue to investigate other parts."

"Hmm, the specific work should still be led by you." Li Xuewu was very understanding of them and said, "You are the professionals; everyone has their own specialty."

"Thank you for your understanding."

Wang Yizhou was truly moved; he was afraid that the leader would come today to urge them on their work progress.

It's fine to urge progress in engineering construction; it's nothing more than increasing the number of workers and increasing working hours.

But engineering investigation is different; this work not only tests thinking and patience but also requires keen insight to accurately grasp problems.

You can do engineering with some brute strength, but you must use your brain for investigation.

Zhou Zechuan followed Li Xuewu's side the whole time, watching more and asking less.

His original identity was enough to explain the Group's dissatisfaction and emphasis on the Metallurgical Plant's production work.

Generally speaking, deputy factory directors in charge of production are promoted from their original units and are all cadres with work experience and backgrounds as workshop directors.

This time, the Group used a supervision cadre to serve as a production cadre, and one who had never been in contact with production work; what does the Group mean by this?

I believe many people are thinking and pondering this question, and some even say Zhou Zechuan was arranged by someone.

Zhou Zechuan didn't hear this; if he had truly heard it, his expression would definitely have turned dissatisfied.

Which cadre transfer isn't arranged by someone? But saying he came with some kind of purpose is truly wronging him.

Ever since the last confrontation, he had become an outsider who was neither loved by his grandmother nor his uncle.

Even if he was re-entering the game now, it wasn't his own wish, and no one had pointed him to do anything.

Zhou Zechuan had already thought it through on the way here: when you arrive, settle down. Even if he had to stay at the Steel City Metallurgical Plant for the rest of his life, he would accept it; after all, you can't kill a man more than once.

He just didn't believe that working diligently and hard would bring Li Xuewu's resentment and difficulty.

That's right, Zhou Zechuan completely gave up on the Group's attention and expectations; his biggest goal was to satisfy Li Xuewu.

Once he truly determined this point, his situation and mindset in Steel City became much more relaxed.

As long as he worked hard and achieved results, no matter how the people above made things difficult for him, Li Xuewu would stand up for him; this was the duty of the head of Liaodong Industry.

On the way back to the unit, the two in the car exchanged views on the No. 4 furnace and the subsequent work of the Metallurgical Plant.

Li Xuewu was very frank, and Zhou Zechuan was tactful; there was no need for Li Xuewu to remind him; he was already learning to adapt to his new identity.

If you don't understand, you can learn; the Group asked him to do production management, not to go to the workshop to do manual labor.

"Starting from the year before last, the Group decided to implement technical reform, and the Metallurgical Plant took the lead."

Li Xuewu emphasized, "At that time, the first goal was special steel and alloy materials."

"Later, the comprehensive technical cooperation with the Santa Ya Group brought a strong driving force to this project."

He said to Zhou Zechuan beside him, "In three years, more than a dozen blast furnaces and workshops were built; the development of the Metallurgical Plant can be described as rapid."

"Problems appearing in this kind of development speed that far exceeds the norm is not a problem; not having problems is the problem."

"I can understand what you mean."

Zhou Zechuan understood Li Xuewu's speech and nodded slightly in agreement, saying, "I'm just afraid that problems will accumulate into a disaster."

"We have had profound lessons."

Li Xuewu sighed long and looked out the car window, saying, "This year's safety production accident could have been avoided, but it happened exactly where it shouldn't have."

"We must find the cause from the root and also find solutions from daily management."

He turned his head and said to Zhou Zechuan, "I have already talked to Comrade Zongfang; for a period of time recently, he will cooperate and help you understand the situation as soon as possible."

"Thank you, I will do my best."

Zhou Zechuan nodded solemnly; the dissatisfaction of being arranged a secretary in the morning really didn't count for anything at this moment.

Perhaps Li Xuewu was truly acting out of public interest, wanting him to enter his role quickly, and that's why he was being arbitrary?

"There's no time this afternoon; let's do it tomorrow."

Li Xuewu said to him before getting out of the car, "Have Director Sun accompany you to visit Comrade Yu Tiecheng's wife."

"Is that the chief designer of the No. 4 furnace?"

It was impossible for Zhou Zechuan not to have any preparation when coming to Steel City, especially regarding the recent vortex of the Metallurgical Plant.

He had heard this name and had also seen related news in the newspaper, so he was not unfamiliar with it.

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "It's just right to go now; it's best to see her before the problem is truly investigated clearly."

"I understand; I will tell Director Sun."

Zhou Zechuan nodded solemnly and said, "As soon as there is any situation, I will report to you in time."

"As soon as possible." Li Xuewu glanced at him and got out of the car, waiting for the other party to come over before walking together, "I have other work to be busy with next month; try to master the work situation as soon as possible."

"Definitely."

Zhou Zechuan was also a person who was straightforward; since Li Xuewu was so frank, he couldn't be vague either.

Li Xuewu said as soon as possible, which meant the situation was urgent; he said definitely, which meant definitely, resolutely completing the task.

Since the problem of the No. 4 furnace had been found, his next work focus was to appease the family members, solve the problem, take over production work, and handle the aftermath.

With Executive Deputy Factory Director Yang Zongfang helping with business, and Secretary-General Li Xuewu supporting from above, he would have relatively large space and time to master the situation.

This was already very rare and must be appreciated.

He was not worried about Yang Zongfang giving him a hard time, and even less afraid of someone tripping him up at this time.

Since Li Xuewu had already expressed his stance, whoever dared to target him was targeting Li Xuewu.

Whoever dared to target him was destroying the overall situation.

In the Group, Li Xuewu might not be the absolute authority, but in Liaodong Industry, in the Metallurgical Plant...

Yang Zongfang was the executive deputy and had no need to target this outsider, who was a deputy factory director in charge of production who didn't understand production.

Although the two had not worked together, they were not strangers; he had to be good for Yang Zongfang to be good.

If he had a problem, Yang Zongfang couldn't escape either.

So the Metallurgical Plant with Li Xuewu was unprecedentedly united; one could tell from how long Liu Yongnian could persist, showing the Secretary-General's care and protection for the Metallurgical Plant.

Perhaps coming to Steel City was not a sad thing.

Qin Huairu did not stay in Steel City for long; once she determined that her son had not completely gone astray, she went back.

Of course, she was worried, but she couldn't say anything to persuade her son to return to Beijing.

It wasn't just that Bang Geng had a new life and hope in Steel City, but also because of herself.

Her married life with Liu Guoyou couldn't be said to be without any affection, but it had been worn away by the various changes over the past year or so.

The changes had worn away not only her affection for Liu Guoyou but also her longing for married life.

Originally, she thought she would have someone to rely on after marriage; even if the other party also brought a pair of daughters, as long as the two supported each other, they could go further.

She simply underestimated the complexity of being a couple halfway through life, and her family situation was also special enough.

Three children, and she still had to support her mother-in-law.

Even if her status and identity could solve the family's food and clothing problems, they couldn't solve the contradictions of harmonious coexistence.

To this day, her mother-in-law had not forgiven her, and hadn't even eaten a meal at her and Liu Guoyou's house.

Even though they lived across the hall, only Liu Guoyou and she went to the opposite side; there was absolutely no situation where the old lady came to their house.

Every time Liu Guoyou sent things home, what he got in return wasn't his mother's smiling face, but rather angry glares.

In her mother-in-law's heart, it was Liu Guoyou who couldn't tolerate Bang Geng and instigated her to make such a scene.

If it weren't for the letters Bang Geng sent home after going to Steel City, her mother-in-law wouldn't even have allowed her to go home.

Qin Huairu now truly felt like she was neither fish nor fowl; her son had opinions about her, and the temperaments of her two daughters had also changed quite a bit.

After she married, she lived with Liu Guoyou, and living with them were Liu Guoyou's two daughters.

Opposite lived her mother-in-law and the children.

This arrangement also had her mother-in-law's meaning, hoping that Bang Geng could inherit the house opposite in the future.

But after Bang Geng threw a tantrum, her mother-in-law didn't recognize the account anymore and started secretly complaining that she didn't care about the family's life or death.

If she had said this to her, it would have been fine, but she nagged in front of the children.

Even if the children were close to her, it couldn't change the fact that she lived opposite.

It was precisely after Bang Geng made such a scene that Liu Guoyou took the initiative to discuss with her, letting the girls live opposite with the old lady, while Bang Geng lived with them.

That was the plan, but Bang Geng didn't wait for them to implement this plan before he kicked up his heels and ran away.

Now, Xiao Dang and Huai Hua didn't want to leave their grandmother, and Liu Guoyou's two daughters didn't want to leave their father.

The most critical thing was that her mother-in-law couldn't tolerate those two girls; even if they met, she would be cold and hostile, so how could they live like this?

Caught in the middle was not only her, but also Liu Guoyou.

Gradually, communication and conversation between this couple who got together halfway through life decreased, and returning home was just about daily necessities.

Even intimacy became a routine and just solving physiological requirements; she was only thirty-three this year.

Thirty-three is the age when you can "suck dirt while sitting on the ground," yet she had already started living a cold life early.

If she had known married life would be like this, she might as well have persisted in being a widow and been more comfortable.

Although life has a hundred kinds of bitterness and one kind of sweetness, she really couldn't bear to endure a hundred kinds of bitterness for one kind of sweetness.

Before returning to Beijing, she found Li Xuewu again, wanting to have an open and honest talk.

Zhou Wang Yamei only stayed at home for one night before going to Fengcheng, so after dinner, Bang Geng went to wash the dishes and tidy the table, and the two came to the study.

The study door was half-open, and Bang Geng, busy in the kitchen, didn't dare to eavesdrop no matter how curious he was.

He truly wanted to know what his mother would talk to Uncle Wu about, because he knew the core of their conversation must be him, and his mother's purpose in coming to Steel City was also for him.

"Steel City has been full of storms recently; are you okay?" Qin Huairu held the hot tea and looked at him sitting opposite on the sofa, asking, "Will there be danger?"

"It's fine, it's all normal work."

Li Xuewu was also examining her, saying, "Talked to Bang Geng? How is it? Do you have a bottom line in your heart?"

"Even less of a bottom line—" Qin Huairu laughed bitterly, looked at him, and asked, "What exactly are you thinking? Can't you tell me?"

"If I tell you, it won't work."

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "If you decide to let him stay in Steel City, then don't ask anything."

"If you truly want to know my thoughts, then be prepared to take him back to Beijing."

Although there was a smile on his face, he emphasized very seriously, "I haven't prepared a second plan for him."

"I'm truly having a headache—"

Qin Huairu put down the teacup, raised her hand to rub her forehead, and said, "This child has broken my heart."

"Hmm." Li Xuewu glanced at her; his only answer was a "hmm." What did that mean?

"I didn't strongly oppose him and that..." Qin Huairu also endured and endured before continuing, "He definitely doesn't understand things about feelings; let's just consider it a setback."

"You should be glad he found a girl three years older." Li Xuewu said faintly, "What if it were three years older than you? Would it be easier to think about it that way?"

"You really know how to persuade people—"

Qin Huairu looked at him speechlessly and said, "If he really found someone three years older than me, is he looking for a partner or a mother?"

"So you did know where his problem lies."

Li Xuewu raised his head, looked into her eyes, and said, "You protected him too well, making him accustomed to having a mother in his life, so when he first experienced feelings, he couldn't help but choose an older sister who was considerate and knew how to take care of people."

"You mean..."

Qin Huairu was completely confused; she could understand Li Xuewu's words, but couldn't comprehend them; this was too...

"If you want to understand this knowledge in detail, you don't need to ask me; you can ask Zhou Wang Yamei."

Li Xuewu continued, "I believe she can systematically explain the reasons for this psychology."

"What I can tell you is that boys are different from girls after all; in the future, he needs to stand on his own."

He tilted his head, looked at Qin Huairu, and emphasized, "Unless you can protect him for a lifetime and endure his personality that will never grow up, otherwise don't harm him anymore."

"How can this be harming him—"

Qin Huairu was naturally unconvinced by Li Xuewu's words, but she also feared his wisdom and brain.

All along, she had become accustomed to Li Xuewu's command and requirements, which was why she had steadily advanced in her work.

Every one of Li Xuewu's suggestions could hit the pros and cons, making her feel like it was astonishing.

And her surprise and worship didn't receive much positive feedback from Li Xuewu; in other words, her so-called success was worthless in Li Xuewu's eyes.

How could such a smart person lie to her?

"If you compare a child to a flower."

Li Xuewu spread his hands and said, "If the home composed of parents shields him from the wind and rain, he will grow up sturdily, even if his personality has some flaws, it's normal."

"But his growing environment only has you; when facing the lack of fatherly love, he will actively lean towards you, rely on you, and strive to seek and obtain your attention."

He leaned on the sofa and said, "He has grown up now and needs a wild environment to temper his consciousness of independent survival. If you still protect him, then when the wind and rain come in, how long can he persist?"

"I..." Qin Huairu was speechless, not knowing what to say; it was a good while before she looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "How do you plan to arrange him?"

"Your son isn't worth me using."

Li Xuewu didn't pay attention to the hesitation and worry in her words, but said frankly, "To put it bluntly, half of the reason I've taken care of him until now is because of you, and the other half is because I feel his nature isn't bad and he can be considered a talent."

"I'm not his father or mother; I can't give him the care of a home, but I can give him the light, wind, and rain necessary for growth."

He nodded slightly and said, "If you think the same way, then there's no need to worry about his future."

"If you have other plans for his future, then I hope even more that you can take him back to Beijing; after all, Beijing has more development opportunities, and living with family is also happier."

Happier, my ass—

The current Qin Huairu was trapped in a marriage she had created herself; where was there any happiness to speak of?

To summarize her relationship with Liu Guoyou in one sentence: just deal with it, what else can you do?

"I heard him say he works at the wharf."

Qin Huairu thought for a moment and asked, "What work is he doing?"

"How did you two talk?"

Li Xuewu asked amusedly, "Didn't he tell you the truth?"

"Actually, he's just muddling through, learning as he goes."

He folded his right leg and said, "Where is there work that needs him to do it, and what can he do?"

"He didn't tell me; he just said he works at the wharf and even gets a salary every month."

Qin Huairu looked at him, unable to hide her inner depression, and said, "Precisely because of this, I know I can't take him away."

"Giving him a salary is to hope he establishes his own values and outlook on life." Li Xuewu explained, "This isn't to stop your mother and son from reuniting."

"Actually, I haven't really managed him much; if he's willing to read, he studies; if he's willing to go out and play, he muddles through society."

Li Xuewu said faintly, "If you really want to temper him, go to the wharf to muddle through; there are many people there."

"You're not even free-ranging him anymore."

Qin Huairu said powerlessly, "I'm truly afraid he'll learn bad things, and even more afraid he'll cause you some disaster."

"To learn bad things, you also need the conditions and courage."

Li Xuewu said with a smile, "You saw him before, tucking a small knife in his waist and thinking he was a social person; is that small knife still there now?"

"I was just about to say." Qin Huairu said in surprise, "This time when I came, I didn't see that knife."

"Sha Zhu is truly something; why send him anything else, but had to send him this dangerous thing."

"He put it away."

Li Xuewu picked up the teacup and said, "A while ago, I arranged for someone to send him to Yingcheng, let him experience the sinister nature of human hearts, and it looks like he has grown up quite a bit."

Qin Huairu was truly speechless this time; does a bad illness have to be cured by something even worse?

Her son wasn't some heinous villain; did he need this kind of thrilling experience?

Li Xuewu simply described Bang Geng's experience in Yingcheng in a very peaceful tone, leaving Qin Huairu dumbfounded.

Bang Geng, who was sitting in the living room in a daze, was still hesitating whether to eavesdrop, but saw his mother had already come out.

The look Qin Huairu gave her son now had less doting and more solemnity.

It wasn't that her son wasn't excellent enough; it was that she was too stupid.

"What I want isn't the junk equipment of the thermal power station, but the power infrastructure and qualifications."

Bu Qingfang emphasized, "Intervening in the power system might not be the best time now, but it is absolutely the critical moment to lay out the future."

She detailed her purpose and views in Li Xuewu's office, even taking many materials to corroborate them.

Li Xuewu listened very seriously and also grasped some other materials in his hand.

"You know the situation of the No. 7 Thermal Power Plant, right?"

He raised his head and looked at Bu Qingfang, saying, "That's not just a pile of junk, but also hundreds of workers."

"The qualifications you want are worthless in Steel City; the Group has the ability to apply for the formation of one at any time."

"But the Group cannot grasp the basic power network."

Bu Qingfang emphasized, "The No. 7 plant's equipment is old and frequently malfunctions; Steel City has invested funds to govern it several times, but the results have been minimal."

"I've thought about it; renovate where it can be renovated, and operate the No. 7 plant as the starting project in the Energy Corporation's power development plan."

She introduced, "The first step is to guarantee power usage and gradually increase production capacity and scale."

"The second step is to gradually expand influence and production scale, increase power generation capacity on the basis of guaranteeing the coal industry, and achieve this through technical means..."

"Just right, speaking of this."

Li Xuewu handed her a chart of the total coal production capacity of Liaodong in the second half of this year.

"See it? Coal production capacity is declining."

He shook his head slightly and said, "Yes, that's right, the decline in Liaodong's coal production capacity has to do with the comprehensive shutdown and rectification of small coal mines, but what if we analyze it from a long-term perspective?"

"For a long time in the future, power plants will be short of coal, and the combustion cost of coal is too high."

"Then what should we do?"

Bu Qingfang spread her hands and asked, "The Energy Corporation is preparing to lay out in the Northeast starting from Steel City, and then develop towards the south."

"Market-oriented operation." Li Xuewu pondered for a moment and said, "You must pay attention to the sense of proportion."

"Although there is no municipal power company in the city, there is also a supply department; it's fine to generate power for your own use, but you must be mentally prepared to operate in the power grid."

"Prepare for what? To be taken away?"

Bu Qingfang frowned and said, "My meaning is the integration of the three Northeast provinces to build power sales and services."

"Too big." Li Xuewu pointed at her and emphasized, "Your heart is too big; even for the people above to decide to do this is extremely difficult."

"If you really make this system, by then, just the power in the Northeast alone could form a group company."

He said amusedly, "It's not that I don't support your ideals, but it can't be too idealistic."

"Change your thinking; engage in industrial electric power."

Li Xuewu didn't wait for her to think and said directly, "Break the routine and only provide power services for industrial enterprises."

"You mean—" Bu Qingfang thought and asked, "Is it to respond to the current situation of insufficient power supply, and output electric power in a targeted manner to industrial enterprises that need more power indicators?"

"This is what you call shooting at the target."

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "You can't just create a market yourself because you see something is good."

"Go back and think about it again; industrial electric power is a market with more prospects." ===== CHAPTER 1493 =====