Chapter 1502: Port City

"What exactly are the Four Modernizations?"

Zhu Zhu Xiaolin truly embodied the posture of an angry young man; counting on his fingers, he told Old Li: "Industrial modernization, agricultural modernization, national defense modernization, and modernization of science and technology."

"A goal set over a decade ago, originally designed to be achieved in two steps; the deadline for this first step is almost upon us—can we complete it?"

"Isn't there still ten years left?"

Old Li appeared remarkably calm; regarding Zhu Zhu Xiaolin, who had swapped seats with Li Li Xuewu, he felt no empathy.

This was inevitable; how old was Zhu Zhu Xiaolin, and how old was he?

Zhu Zhu Xiaolin was basically confirmed to retire before March next year; what about him?

Old Li was only in his forties, nearing fifty, precisely the prime age for striving.

Do not be fooled by his various illnesses; if truly given the chance to advance, he would be willing to work while hooked up to an IV drip—cadres simply have this addiction.

Facing imminent retirement, Zhu Zhu Xiaolin inevitably harbored some regrets and a sense of disparity in his heart.

At such a time, he could complain a few words and vent his grievances; no one would take offense.

Even Director Du would not contend with him, after all, everyone reaches this stage.

There is no need for anyone to mock another; perhaps when one's own time to retire comes, one might not even fare better than him.

But Li Li Huai De could not; he was the top leader of an emerging industrial enterprise closely monitored by the First Ministry of Machinery Industry and higher leadership, the helmsman of the Red Star Steel Group, a warship currently setting sail with full sails catching the wind.

Whether in public settings or private conversations, every word he spoke represented a stance, a direction.

This was no joke; in a certain sense, his words carried a degree of public credibility.

When everyone generally respected and trusted him, the attitude he expressed would be regarded as a weathervane for policy shifts.

People would generally believe he had interpreted the significance and purpose of higher-level actions, driving progress in the direction he pointed; this is influence.

Would Old Li dare to speak nonsense?

Let alone being on an airplane accompanying a delegation abroad for a state visit; even at a banquet table, he would not misspeak a single word, regardless of how much he drank.

Judging solely by this point, cadres who had walked through the years of war indeed possessed some real ability.

Look at the veteran cadres of the Red Star Factory from before; whether Yang Yang Yuansong or Yang Yang Fengshan, even Xiong Xiong Bencheng, who now seems the least useful, possessed a few ounces of moral backbone.

Since Li Li Xuewu came to know these factory leaders, he had sat with them at banquet tables more than once; never once did they engage in wild boasting.

They knew clearly in their hearts what should be said and what should not, no matter how much they drank.

Those who spout nonsense with their mouths are not merely drunk; they are using drinking as a pretext to act wildly and wickedly.

It is the depression and frustration in their hearts suddenly erupting; such situations generally fall into two categories: one is like Li Bai, drinking to write poetry and curse people; the other is like Zhu Zhu Xiaolin, seeking opportunities to curse people even without drinking, looking as if they are begging for death.

Li Li Huai De truly wished to stand up and swap seats with the deputy factory director of the Jingcheng Chemical Plant; he did not want to chat with him anymore.

But it was damn dangerous—

It was just that Old Zhu had never given him the opportunity; to do so would truly be inappropriate.

Think about it: Old Zhu had swapped seats with Li Li Xuewu specifically to sidle up to Old Li.

If Old Li then swapped seats with Bai Bai Changmin, would that not make it look like he was avoiding him consecutively? Where would Old Zhu's face be placed? He would truly become an annoyance.

"Ten years? Ten years is nowhere near enough!"

Zhu Zhu Xiaolin curled the corner of his mouth and said: "To establish an independent industrial system requires at least another thirty years, and that is my optimistic assessment."

"Of course, your Red Star Steel Group does not count; a single blooming flower does not make spring."

He waved his hand, voluntarily categorizing the Red Star Steel Group into a special exception.

Actually, Zhu Zhu Xiaolin was not speaking nonsense; what he said held some truth.

In 1964, summarizing the Four Modernizations goals formulated in 1954, the "Two-Step" strategy was formed, namely:

Step One: Establish an independent industrial system (15 years); Step Two: Fully realize modernization (by the end of the 20th century).

Five years had passed from 1964 to this year; aside from the rapid development of the national industrial system in the first two years, the growth rate in recent years had slowed down, and even regressed somewhat.

Zhu Zhu Xiaolin was not firing into the void; he was speaking from his feelings regarding the difficulties of the Jingcheng Chemical Plant; if the top leader of a trust enterprise faced such struggles, just imagine the rest.

Actually, looking across the entire nation, this year was slightly better, but the country was still in the midst of a harsh winter.

One only needed to observe the development rhythm of the Red Star Steel Group this year to understand; it was also relatively conservative.

There was no choice but to be conservative; the overall economic policy within the planned system was in a downward trend; the more actively Red Steel performed, the more likely it would be labeled with certain tags.

You see, although Old Li liked to boast, in reality, he was extremely cautious, not speaking a single word of exaggeration.

"You don't know; our pressure is immense; just look at my face."

Old Li turned his head and signaled to Zhu Zhu Xiaolin: "When have I ever looked so haggard before? This year alone, I've aged by more than ten years."

"I didn't notice it in you, but Comrade Gu Gu Weijie from your group does look aged."

Zhu Zhu Xiaolin raised his eyebrows and said: "Your leadership team has certainly been stirring up quite a storm this year."

"Am I not old?" Li Li Huai De asked with a bitter smile, pointing to the luggage rack overhead: "Do you know what I bring most often when traveling on business?"

"Medicine; a huge pile of both Chinese and Western medicine."

He exaggeratedly gestured with his hand and said: "After taking the medicine, I don't even need to eat meals."

"Hehe, everyone gets like this when they reach a certain age."

Zhu Zhu Xiaolin chuckled softly and asked in a low voice: "Do you also have prostate problems?"

"Nothing to be ashamed of—"

Seeing Old Li looking at him in surprise, he nodded and explained: "This is a common ailment among men; everyone develops some degree of illness as they age."

"I haven't even reached the county level yet."

Li Li Huai De let out a long sigh and said: "Diabetes; I dare not eat, I dare not drink; in this life, I am destined to have no fate with alcohol."

"Diabetes? How does one get such a thing?"

Zhu Zhu Xiaolin asked in surprise, as if hearing of such an illness for the first time: "From eating too much?"

"Heh—" Old Li slanted his eyes at him and said: "How did I get it? I won the lottery and got it."

"How else would I get it? What kind of good illness is this!"

He was nearly rolling his eyes upward as he spoke irritably: "It has nothing to do with eating or drinking; it's a kidney disease, related to all the internal organs."

"So it's that the kidneys have failed."

Zhu Zhu Xiaolin, who was adept at taking things out of context, now glanced meaningfully at Old Li.

This thoroughly disgusted Old Li; he was talking about diabetes, not being unable to get it up, damn it.

On the contrary, it was this Zhu fellow who would be unable to get it up due to prostate problems, so what was he strutting about!

"Waiter, bring me a cup of tea."

Old Li could no longer stand him; he raised his hand to signal the flight attendant to pour tea, cutting off Old Zhu's teasing.

The flight attendant was also slightly disgusted by Old Li; those who knew understood they were on an airplane, while those who didn't might think they were in a restaurant.

Calling me 'waiter,' you old codger, why didn't you just call me 'young lad'?

"How did your preparatory negotiation meeting go?" Li Li Xuewu turned to Bai Bai Changmin beside him and asked, "Have you found any projects of interest?"

After Zhu Zhu Xiaolin swapped seats, Li Li Xuewu ended up sitting together with Bai Bai Changmin from Jingcheng Chemical Industry.

Speaking of which, this Bai Bai Changmin was indeed a doer, just somewhat born at the wrong time.

He lacked Old Zhu's methods, yet his age was not much different from Old Zhu's.

Calculating by five-year terms, the new leadership team of Jingcheng Chemical Industry would not be led by him.

Old Zhu bringing him out this time might have been a form of compensation, after all, they had been competing for several years.

If he could truly secure a major project during this visit, or achieve a Da Gong, he might still have a chance for further promotion.

Of course, the probability of becoming the squad leader was rather low; becoming the deputy squad leader might still be possible.

Or, leaving Jingcheng Chemical Industry to take a top position at another branch enterprise or a relatively smaller enterprise might be the only way.

However, even being transferred externally to serve as the top leader would merely be bridging the gap for someone else, which held little meaning.

Li Li Xuewu quite admired Bai Bai Changmin; this old comrade possessed a certain persistence and conviction.

Even though he was nearing the age to step down to a secondary line, his speech remained steady and orderly, without a hint of complaint or grumbling.

Everything he discussed with Li Li Xuewu was practical matters, with not a shred of emptiness.

"The preparatory negotiations were not very smooth," Bai Bai Changmin explained rather tactfully: "The chemical industry is inherently a sector with strong inclusivity."

He spoke while pondering: "We indeed wish to examine East Germany's overall chemical system, focusing on selecting several key projects to tackle."

"If the preliminary negotiations failed to identify the focal points, do you pin your hopes on seeing more once you arrive locally?"

Li Li Xuewu looked at him in surprise, saying, "That simply won't work; from our departure to our return, time is extremely tight."

"Even if you obtain the key projects, the team leader will not wait an extra day for you."

He raised his eyebrows and emphasized, "Unless you have the ability to move all of East Germany's superior chemical technology back home, otherwise, everything must be precise and clear-cut."

"Of course I know that—"

Bai Bai Changmin shook his head with a bitter smile, saying, "But without seeing the real goods, we dare not release our eagles."

"Then you must hurry up."

Li Li Xuewu widened his eyes slightly and reminded softly, "We only have one week in total; the first day is for collective action, and East Germany is not small."

"Have you conducted a detailed investigation into the distribution of East Germany's industrial system?"

"This..." Bai Bai Changmin looked at him in surprise and asked, "Do we need to investigate this ourselves?"

"..." Li Li Xuewu looked at him speechlessly and asked, "What else?"

"Won't the conference group provide support?"

Bai Bai Changmin asked in panic, "Wasn't it agreed that we wouldn't need to bring more people over?"

"Are you really that obedient?"

Li Li Xuewu also looked at him in surprise, saying, "Of course, the accompanying delegation does not allow declaring too many people, but that doesn't mean you aren't allowed to send your own."

"Ah? You send your own people?"

Bai Bai Changmin sat up straight, looking at him and asking, "Is that even allowed?"

"What else?" Li Li Xuewu also widened his eyes, looking at him and asking, "Don't tell me only you and Director Zhu are going to East Germany this time?"

"Of course not—"

Bai Bai Changmin glanced at him and explained, "We have brought accompanying secretaries and translators."

"..." Li Li Xuewu was truly shocked; looking at him, he stated, "This won't work, Factory Manager Bai; the conference group can provide secretaries and translators, but the negotiation team must be organized by yourselves."

"Can't we negotiate?"

Bai Bai Changmin had already realized the seriousness of the problem, but still asked naively, "How many people did you organize to go over?"

"Are you asking about the negotiation support group, the logistical support group, or the organizational office?"

Li Li Xuewu counted on his fingers for him, then nodded affirmatively, saying, "At least 85 people, mostly temporarily seconded from Gangcheng."

"Eigh... eighty-something people?"

Bai Bai Changmin was astonished, looking at him and asking, "Is so many people really necessary?"

"Do you know the basic situation of East Germany's chemical industry?"

Li Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows, looking at him and stating, "Actually, the chemical industry is the most impressive sector of East Germany's industrial department; its output value accounts for 11% of the total industrial production value, and its employees account for 10.6% of the total industrial workforce; do you know this?"

Seeing Bai Bai Changmin's bewildered expression, he spread his hands and asked, "If you don't know these facts, then do you know where to visit?"

"Where... to visit?" Bai Bai Changmin asked nervously, gripping the armrest: "Isn't the conference group arranging for us to visit designated enterprises?"

"Yes, but will you actually go?"

Li Li Xuewu said with amusement, "The things they let us see, could there be anything good among them?"

"Even if we saw something good, would they sell it to us?"

He shook his head helplessly, took out paper and pen, placed them on the small table, and began writing while speaking: "Our focus is not on chemicals; even after viewing several projects, I haven't memorized much."

"East Germany's chemical production is mainly distributed across these regions: the Halle-Leipzig area, which develops its lignite chemical industry based on local lignite mining."

"In the eastern region, imported oil is processed to develop the petrochemical industry, producing synthetic fibers, synthetic resins, nitrogen fertilizers, and more, with Berlin, Cottbus, and Frankfurt serving as production centers."

"The Dresden district, benefiting from a favorable economic geographic location, imports raw materials and fuel to produce synthetic fibers, pharmaceuticals, photographic paper, rubber products..."

"The foreland of the Harz Mountains utilizes chemical raw materials from nearby mountainous areas and waste from the non-ferrous metallurgy industry to produce potash fertilizers, sulfuric acid, calcined soda, and more..."

Seeing Bai Bai Changmin craning his neck to look over, Li Li Xuewu tapped the notebook in his hand with his pen tip and emphasized, "You should focus your attention on this city."

"Rostock?"

Bai Bai Changmin looked at the name on the notebook, not understanding the significance of his emphasis.

"Yes, Rostock."

Li Li Xuewu emphasized, "Rostock is a new chemical industry center; it imports Ban Cheng Pin ammonia from Ventspils in the northern Soviet Union to produce nitrogen fertilizers."

"A nitrogen fertilizer processing plant?" Bai Bai Changmin frowned, thought for a moment, then suddenly widened his eyes.

Seeing that he understood, Li Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly and explained, "Discuss whatever they lack; the more private the topic, the better."

"As long as we can secure this project..."

He tapped the pen, now capped, against the notebook and said, "You understand."

"I understand..." Bai Bai Changmin's mouth fell slightly open; this surprise was enough to stun him silly.

"Don't follow the tour group, and don't wander around aimlessly like a headless fly missing the key point."

Li Li Xuewu tore the page he had just written from the notebook, handed it to him, and instructed softly, "Just focus here and secure it."

"I understand."

Bai Bai Changmin had already deciphered the deep meaning in his eyes; he accepted those few sheets of paper, which seemed light but felt heavy as lead, like an order from a leader, and tucked them away as if they were precious treasures.

"It's truly a bit exhausting."

Li Li Huai De looked out the window at the ground structures swept past by the plane, sighing with emotion.

In fact, the flight had only lasted a little over five hours, but he truly could not endure it anymore.

This was a civil aviation plane, not the Red Star No. 1 business jet; its comfort level was merely average.

Looking at the chaotic urban landscape below and the sudden appearance of towering skyscrapers coming into view, he was still somewhat shocked.

How could a city's economy be so severely polarized?

"What we just flew over must have been slums; the commercial district lies beyond."

Li Li Xuewu explained to him, "The market economy determines people's survival mindset."

"It's truly unimaginable—"

Old Li shook his head slightly and sighed, "Is this the paradise those people yearn for?"

"Heh—" Li Li Xuewu also shook his head with a bitter smile, saying, "Thinking about it inversely, if this is paradise, then how miserable must their living conditions have been before they arrived?"

Li Li Huai De suddenly fell silent and remained so until the plane landed at Kai Tak Airport in Gangcheng.

There was another reason Old Li suddenly stopped speaking: the changing situation outside the window.

Why call it a change in situation rather than a change in scenery?

Because of Kai Tak Airport's uniqueness, it is known as one of the ten most dangerous airports in the world.

For passengers on board, especially those sitting on the right side of the cabin near the windows, the plane's descent felt as if it had flown into the wrong air corridor.

One could feel the plane getting closer and closer to the ground; the crowded streets of Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok, the multi-story buildings, and the pedestrians below were all clearly visible, yet no sign of the runway appeared ahead.

Later, the buildings on both sides seemed about to collide with the wings; sometimes, one could even clearly see scenes of couples doing such-and-such inside residential units, or the colors of laundry drying on rooftops.

At this moment, the plane was turning over Kowloon Walled City, and the runway finally appeared ahead. A few seconds later, the landing gear touched land, and the plane had landed on the runway situated in the middle of the harbor.

For the residents of Kowloon Walled City living beneath the flight path, an exaggerated saying once circulated: that one could knock a plane down simply by holding a bamboo laundry pole from the upper floors of a building.

Old Li had lived this long but had never seen such a crowded city; was it really necessary?

Yes, was it necessary? At the end of last year and the beginning of this year, Jingcheng had relocated over eight hundred thousand young people to the countryside to participate in production labor work.

Even Jingcheng before the relocation never made Old Li feel that there were so many people or that the houses were so small.

What the hell kind of urban high-rise architecture is this? It's clearly pigeonholes.

Just think about it: if a couple making love inside their room can be seen by people on a plane, how high must the residential density be? They might as well be living inside the airport.

Jingcheng also has relatively dense residential areas, especially worker dormitories, but in Old Li's view, even the living conditions in the former Red Star Factory worker dormitories were more spacious and comfortable than here.

After the plane landed steadily, Li Li Xuewu could clearly feel Old Li beside him letting out a long sigh of relief, as if surviving a disaster.

"Heh, if you are nervous or afraid, you can close your eyes and take deep breaths."

Li Li Xuewu reminded him with a light chuckle.

Old Li stubbornly turned his head to look at him and said, "Was I nervous? What is there to be afraid of with this thing? We just chat, and it's over."

"Is that so? Then please let go of my hand."

Li Li Xuewu raised his arm, indicating Old Li's hand, which was stiff from tension, and said with amusement, "If others see this, they will misunderstand."

"Heh—hahaha—"

Old Li, his thoughts exposed by Little Li, couldn't help but burst into laughter; at this moment, everyone was looking at the scenery outside the window, and no one noticed this side.

"Damn it, saying I'm not afraid is a lie; how could one not be afraid—"

It was also because the plane had landed and was in the taxiing phase that Old Li could speak so smoothly.

He whispered to Li Li Xuewu, "Watching those buildings about to crash right into my face, I was just thinking, what would we do if we died here?"

"..." Li Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "It's fine; my legs are long, I could just step out and jump down; at worst, I'd suffer a fracture."

"Heh heh heh, stop joking."

Li Li Huai De said with a laugh, "I've never heard of getting off a plane midway."

"Even if you have the ability to pilot a helicopter, it doesn't mean you know how to fly one."

"That's two different matters." Li Li Xuewu nodded, looking in the direction the nose of the plane was taxiing, and said, "I dare jump from a helicopter, but I wouldn't dare from a passenger jet."

"Alright, we've finally arrived."

Li Li Huai De sighed as he spoke: "You know me; I'm terrified of this thing."

"Even though I really liked that plane of ours, I wouldn't dare sit in it; I never expected I couldn't avoid it after all, and actually ended up flying once."

"Going to East Germany is so far; could you row a boat there?" Li Li Xuewu said with a smile: "The airplane should be the greatest invention of this century, allowing people worldwide to share resources."

"So that's where your focus lies—" Li Li Huai De nodded and said: "Truly a person of great breadth and lofty ambitions."

"You're just teasing me—"

Li Li Xuewu smiled, stood up, took their luggage for the two of them, and also helped Bai Bai Changmin with his baggage.

Halfway through the flight, perhaps because the small talk with Old Li had run dry, or perhaps prompted by Bai Bai Changmin, Zhu Zhu Xiaolin voluntarily returned to his own seat.

The two people in front had been chattering all the way, revolving entirely around the information Li Li Xuewu had provided.

Zhu Zhu Xiaolin hadn't paid much attention to this trip, while Bai Bai Changmin didn't understand the intentions from above.

So Li Li Xuewu couldn't stand it anymore and offered Bai Bai Changmin some guidance.

Upon hearing Li Li Xuewu say that the Red Star Steel Group had organized a team of over eighty people to follow along, both men would be lying if they claimed not to be envious.

Putting aside the matter of joining the group, just consider how much cost it takes to support those eighty people.

You say they were seconded, but once seconded, can you just send them back casually?

Even just sending these people to East Germany and bringing them back constitutes a huge expense.

"What did you tell them?"

When disembarking, Old Li specifically asked Li Li Xuewu what he had just discussed through Bai Bai Changmin.

Li Li Xuewu simply introduced it in a few sentences; this wasn't merely a kind-hearted attitude.

Li Li Huai De naturally understood very well; he raised an eyebrow and said: "Aren't we focusing on Rostock for the shipyard?"

"Yes, and I never said we were going for the chemical plant."

Li Li Xuewu chuckled and said: "It doesn't matter; their luck has always been very good."

"Heh—" Li Li Huai De walked forward while laughing lightly: "For him to meet you is truly terrible luck."

"Shouldn't he be convinced instead?"

Li Li Xuewu smiled and said: "Neptun Werft, or Warnow Werft."

"If we can't buy it, let Jingcheng Chemical purchase it, and we'll swap it back."

He looked at Old Li and said: "If they truly achieve their expected goals, they actually profit from it."

"If we really let them stumble around blindly like headless flies, they might end up being swindled by someone else."

"So according to you, they're bound to be swindled sooner or later, so they might as well be swindled by you?"

Old Li looked amusingly at Zhu Zhu Xiaolin and Bai Bai Changmin, who were hurrying ahead, thinking only that it was remarkable how two old fellows had been duped by a little rascal.

Sincerity isn't necessarily the truth, but it is definitely a killer move.

Transferring planes in Hongcheng didn't mean the aircraft just looped around and left; they needed to switch to a Hongcheng Air Command flight to fly onward to Berlin, the capital of East Germany.

From the moment the flight landed until taking off again from Hongcheng, there was a brief layover.

According to the requirements of the team leader, no person in charge of an enterprise was permitted to leave the group privately.

From the moment they boarded the plane, they were a single unit; only after landing in Germany and completing collective activities would they be permitted to carry out inspection activities.

Therefore, Li Li Xuewu and Li Li Huai De didn't need to look for reception signs, nor worry about where they would stay tonight; they just needed to follow those ahead.

However, when walking out of the arrival channel, Li Li Xuewu's eyes couldn't help but turn toward the crowd waiting to receive passengers, because there stood a familiar figure.

Clad in a beige short trench coat, a white sweater, and blue trousers, she was so dazzling.

It was a gaze of longing, a glance spanning ten thousand years, and also the difficulty of meeting matched only by the difficulty of parting.

Li Li Xuewu did not greet her, nor did she wave, yet in each other's eyes, the surroundings instantly fell silent, leaving no one else.

She stood there gazing at him, tears shimmering in her eyes.

Li Li Xuewu walked forward until his line of sight attracted Old Li's attention beside him, at which point he turned his head back.

"What is it? Someone you know?"

Li Li Huai De also glanced at the crowd meeting the flight but saw nothing unusual.

"Someone from the Oriental Era Bank has come."

Li Li Xuewu did not hide this from Old Li, but neither did he reveal the full truth.

Old Li didn't need his frankness; from start to finish, he had never asked Li Li Xuewu about the foundations of the Oriental Era Bank.

Why ask so much? Knowing more would only make him more passive; it was enough to confirm certain key points.

Just as seen on the plane during the journey here, not everything here is paradise.

Hongcheng has a clear boundary with the interior, and Hongcheng also has its own boundaries.

Even if he were given Hongcheng's resources, so what? Could he come to Hongcheng to develop?

"Is it President Lou?"

Li Li Huai De knew this name but didn't know how Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe had arrived in Hongcheng.

The situation at the time was relatively complex and involved the Investigation Department, so he hadn't asked.

Li Li Xuewu nodded and said: "She should come to see us a bit later; for now, let's follow the group."

"That's certain; absolutely do not make mistakes," Li Li Huai De emphasized softly: "You meet her first; if necessary, I will meet her."

"Then let's not meet at all," Li Li Xuewu said decisively: "Wait until we return?"

"Fine, then let's wait until we return to discuss it."

Li Li Huai De seemed to follow advice readily, but in reality, he had no desire whatsoever to meet Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe.

They were people from two different worlds; even if there was commercial cooperation, so what?

He could not bear the responsibility of privately meeting with Hongcheng capital, nor did he want to take that risk.

If Li Li Xuewu were to go meet them, there would be no problem, because the Red Star Steel Group has an office in Port City, and it is quite normal for members of the group's leadership to pay some attention; the only caveat is that the squad leader cannot be too eager.

Li Li Xuewu meeting the capital representatives of Port City represented a certain posture, one that was relatively conservative and reserved.

Even the higher-ups could understand this posture, which is why Li Li Xuewu could meet them while others could not.

This sounds very complicated and convoluted, but the actual situation is exactly as stated.

Everything has its limits; no one can clearly define where that line lies, yet everyone understands it in their hearts.

The conference committee booked hotels near the airport for everyone, stipulating that going out was not allowed, but they did leave some leeway in the form of an application system.

Flight schedules carry uncertainty; arriving in Port City in the afternoon and flying to East Germany in the morning.

Therefore, everyone only had one night to stay in Port City, and most people could only stand on the upper floors of the hotel to glimpse the cityscape of Port City.

A Rolls-Royce sedan glided smoothly up to the hotel's reception platform; the doorman moved to open the door but was blocked by bodyguards who arrived immediately after.

"We are here to pick someone up."

The bodyguard explained calmly, nodding toward a colleague who was walking into the lobby.

Inside the lobby, Li Li Xuewu was sitting on a sofa reading a Port City newspaper, which happened to be free.

Apart from that, even a glass of Bai Shui cost money, making Li Li Huai De so angry he wanted to curse aloud.

He still possessed some refinement; Zhu Zhu Xiaolin and the others had already cursed, and they had cursed quite viciously.

Li Li Xuewu voluntarily submitted a report to the team leader, with Li Li Huai De providing the guarantee.

Old Li had made it very clear that it was inconvenient for him to appear in person, hoping instead that the Group's Secretary-General would inspect the Group's business operations in Port City and meet with the Group's best cooperative partner there.

The key figures of this visit were never the accompanying staff, but rather the heads of the various enterprises.

Thus, relying on the name of the Red Star Steel Group and Old Li's guarantee, Li Li Xuewu obtained an exit permit.

If you were to ask whether anyone other than Li Li Xuewu obtained an exit permit?

Of course there were; even without resources and conditions like those of the Red Star Steel Group, it was permissible for red enterprises to come and pick people up.

This was because the responsibility for the guarantee lay not with the person in charge, but with these enterprises themselves.

"Mr. Li, President Lou has come to pick you up."

A female comrade dressed in a suit walked up to Li Li Xuewu and voluntarily greeted him.

Of course, from Li Li Xuewu's perspective, he should address the other party as "Comrade," but she addressed him as "Young Lady."

Hmm, in this era in Port City, "Young Lady" was still an honorific, originating from prestigious families.

Obviously, the fact that she could pinpoint Li Li Xuewu among so many people in the lobby indicated that she knew Li Li Xuewu or had seen him before.

Coincidentally, although Li Li Xuewu had never met her, he had already guessed who she was.

"Xiaohe, is it?" Li Li Xuewu stood up, smiling as he voluntarily extended his hand.

Lou Xiaohe looked at him with great surprise, but still extended her hand to shake his.

"Mr. Li, I didn't expect you to know me."

"No, I merely guessed."

Li Li Xuewu smiled, released her hand, and said, "Watching Lou Xiaoe mentioned your help to her many times in her letters; I felt it must be you coming to pick me up."

"Thank you—"

Lou Xiaohe was truly moved; although he had only spoken these few simple polite words.

That he could recognize her and even know of her situation proved that Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe truly thought this way.

Especially that last sentence, which also indicated that in Li Li Xuewu's heart, Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe trusted her.

Therefore, she could not help but say a word of thanks.

"Mr. Li, please follow me."

Lou Xiaohe smiled and nodded, changing her usual serious demeanor to become surprisingly polite.

This was quite different from her conduct while working at the Group; if any colleagues had witnessed this, they might have cried out in surprise.

As the General Manager's second sister, Lou Xiaohe did not hold any important position within the Group.

She was merely the General Manager's legal advisor, a role that resembled more of a service position.

Yet, although Lou Xiaohe clearly held no significant title, she was able to represent Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe in executing orders every time.

Especially when representing Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe at occasions where it was inconvenient for her to appear in person, having both a lawyer's license and a family relationship made her extremely convenient for such tasks.

Just like now, unknown numbers of eyes were fixed on the members of this delegation.

And every person leaving the hotel would be targeted; this is called "flies do not bite eggs without cracks."

Unfortunately, the specifications of this delegation were very high, so ordinary people truly could not get close.

The fact that Lou Xiaohe could appear here already proved her strength in Port City.

"If possible, may I take this newspaper with me?"

After first confirming with the front desk, Li Li Xuewu took the newspaper and left with Lou Xiaohe.

Lou Xiaohe was quite puzzled; his time was clearly extremely tight, so why did he still need to bring the newspaper?

When the two appeared at the lobby entrance, camera flashes ignited; Li Li Xuewu frowned slightly and glanced away.

This scene was seen clearly by Lou Xiaohe, who also wanted to see this person's reaction.

She had not expected him to be so decisive and fierce, the kind whose single glance could cost a person their life.

The bodyguard first opened the rear car door for him; only after the Rolls-Royce started did he jump onto the Mercedes that followed closely behind.

There was no need to ponder the meaning of the flashes; this was Port City, and how many Rolls-Royces did Port City have in total? Encountering one naturally warranted taking a photo.

"You look even more dazzling than I imagined," Li Li Xuewu said, looking at Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe beside him: "The flashes nearly blinded me."

"Those were aimed at you."

Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe's voice was somewhat choked, as if she had just been crying; she had waited for him for too long.

"Perhaps; I am just a bit unaccustomed to it."

Li Li Xuewu shook his head slightly, grasped her hand, and said, "Including the night scenery outside this window."

He turned to look out the window, where neon lights flickered, row upon row sweeping past the car window as if awaiting his inspection.

"Yet I have watched it for three years."

At this moment, Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe's eyes held only him; her grip tightened increasingly, unwilling to let go.

"Mm, you've worked hard."

Li Li Xuewu nodded with deep understanding, then turned to look at her and asked, "Do you want to cry?"

He patted his own shoulder and said, "I'm here; borrow my shoulder if you like."

"This place was originally mine anyway."

Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe, having doffed her armor of strength, suddenly spoke in a soft voice, then leaned against his shoulder; though smiling on her face, tears streamed down unchecked.

Sitting in the front passenger seat, Lou Xiaohan dared not even turn her head; she could afford to offend neither of the two in the back.

As for her younger sister Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe, needless to say, others assumed she was merely riding her sister's coattails to enjoy life, basking in endless glory within the group, but what was the reality?

In reality, Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe was not particularly close to her; although she had fully satisfied her material pride, emotionally she had always remained distant.

At the very least, Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe had never once called her 'older sister,' seeming not to acknowledge their relationship at all.

Yet if one claimed she did not acknowledge it, Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe clearly knew some of her social connections.

Take the person in the back, for instance; from what she understood, he too was a major figure.

If Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe did not trust her, why would she remain so unguarded in her presence?

It was very contradictory, and also very complex.

Li Li Xuewu—a name she had heard countless times, often mentioned by the departed Wen Wen Hanze and later by Li Li Wenbiao.

She felt Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe was already formidable enough, yet that Crown Prince of Prince's Port was even more formidable.

But when they gathered together to drink tea, mentioning this man always carried a tone of respect; just how formidable must this man be?

A principal leader of a major trust corporation on the mainland, young enough to provoke jealousy.

Upon their first meeting, although he had not acknowledged her in his address, he had still affectionately called her by her name, albeit without her surname.

This was precisely the cause of her slight surprise; without such a connection, how could he possibly know her?

So then, what was his attitude toward her?

Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe keeping her at neither too close nor too far a distance was also quite understandable; one need only look at ancient dynasties to comprehend.

To prevent relatives from interfering in politics, how many Emperors had racked their brains pondering such matters?

The ways of the world had long been passed down, and Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe acted upon precisely this mindset.

Too close, and she feared Lou Xiaohan might harbor improper thoughts; too distant, and she feared she might lack sufficient loyalty.

Satisfying her economically while keeping her emotionally cool ensured her absolute loyalty amidst this inner conflict.

After only exchanging a few words, silence fell in the rear of the car; unable to restrain herself any longer, Lou Xiaohan secretly glanced at the rearview mirror, only to find herself caught red-handed by him.

Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe leaned against his shoulder as if asleep, teardrops still clinging to her face.

Looking at him again, he was watching her with a teasing expression, as if he had caught a little flower cat peeking.

Lou Xiaohan's face flushed for an instant; she averted her gaze and looked out the window.

Actually, the rear seat was visible through the side mirror; from this angle, he still appeared quite handsome, not so frightening after all.

Yes, in the waiting area, while accompanying Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe waiting for Li Li Xuewu to emerge, the very first glance at him had filled her with fear.

This man possessed an absolutely terrifying countenance, yet upon looking further, one felt not the slightest fear.

Because he had turned toward their side.

Of course, he was not looking at her, but at Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe beside her; that cold gaze instantly transformed into tenderness.

What a complex gaze that was; even now, it remained vivid in her memory.

She had never heard Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe mention him, nor had she ever heard Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe speak of matters between the two of them.

Yet she could confirm that the two in the back were lovers, and the kind deeply devoted to each other.

Born in Port City, she had long seen through love; it amounted to nothing more than two types: matters of the heart or matters of the body.

After the momentary panic during their eye contact just now, she actually found the courage to observe him.

Yet through the rearview mirror, through the side mirror, she never again saw his teasing gaze.

He too leaned back in his seat, eyes slightly closed, allowing Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe to lean against him in deep sleep.

At this moment, Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe looked more like a child; come to think of it, she was only in her twenties.

To come from the mainland to Port City and support such a grand facade, one must truly say it was not easy.

Looking at Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe now further demonstrated that Li Li Xuewu's power was beyond imagination.

She actively observed him, hoping to discern something from his facial features and attire, but after looking for a long time, she discerned nothing.

He was very tall and possessed a strong presence, yet his character was absolutely not rigid; in fact, he was somewhat mischievous.

What kind of person was he, exactly?