Chapter 1555: Next Time for Sure

The guesthouse of Fengcheng Machinery Plant had quite solid facilities, having been merged into Red Star Plant along with Fengcheng First Machinery Plant.

In fact, speaking broadly, the industrial enterprises of the Northeast at this time all had some family savings if shaken out; it was not difficult for them.

Of course, that depended on who one was comparing them to.

Compared to advanced foreign industrial enterprises, they fell short; the resource-rich province, always a strategic battleground, had been wealthy in past decades, yet the people had never enjoyed the abundant fruits of resource development.

It was only after the founding of the nation, when the people turned over to become masters of their own house, that they attained this affluent life, generally surpassing the welfare standards of industrial enterprises across the country.

In the 1990s, as population mobility increased, people from other regions mostly formed the impression that Northeasterners dressed well, spoke loudly, loved good food and fun, and acted pretentiously.

In truth, not all of this was innate; for one or two generations, they had indeed been truly wealthy, such as today's working class.

Previously, Li Li Xuewu had not realized this, but after coming to work in Liaodong, he discovered that consumption power here was generally stronger than inside the Great Wall; fashionable items rarely seen in the south could be found in even slightly larger county towns in the Northeast.

In this era, saying the Northeast was slightly wealthier than Gangdong was no exaggeration; life here was better than in any other region of the nation.

If not for policy adjustments, if not for the convergence of industrial development reforms and economic growth, where would several thousand Red Star Plant personnel have gained the qualification to merge across provinces with a large enterprise like Fengcheng First Machinery Plant?

Even now, voices opposing that merger still emerged within Fengcheng Machinery Plant, believing Red Star Plant lacked the capability for cross-provincial management.

Of course, such voices were becoming fewer and quieter now; most were merely the reluctance and complaints of certain vested interest holders.

Fengcheng First Machinery Plant accepted the merger under the guidance of the Provincial Industry Bureau; plainly put, it had little to do with the plant's assets and strength at the time, but was artificially controlled, serving as a form of enterprise introduction and resource integration.

The Provincial Industry Bureau hoped that the Honggang Group, which already showed signs of rising, would take root and blossom in Liaodong, utilizing Honggang Group's technological innovation and advanced management to provide new management solutions for the heavy industry on this land.

Fengcheng First Machinery Plant possessed broad representativeness and simultaneously aligned with Honggang Group's development needs; it could be said that Honggang Group and the Provincial Industry Bureau saw eye to eye immediately.

Naturally, there were opposing voices within First Machinery Plant, especially regarding Honggang Group's rather tough and serious management style; at that time, many workers were adjusted.

Speaking nicely, it was an adjustment; speaking less nicely, they were removed from the list of workers to be retained.

Honggang Group did not want them, and the Provincial Industry Bureau coordinated to assign them to other industrial enterprises, leaving them in a role where neither grandmother nor uncle loved them.

Who did not have a few relatives? Broken bones still connect by sinew; these people also had family members remaining in the machinery plant, causing a period of turbulence during the processes of technological and management reform, but it was quickly suppressed.

The management arranged by Honggang Group was not composed of those trembling with fear from the Great Study Campaign; they immediately employed multiple approaches simultaneously, deploying various methods at once.

After Li Li Xuewu came to work in Liaodong, he visited Fengcheng Machinery Plant for research many times, stabilizing worker morale while simultaneously supervising management and development here.

The merger of Fengcheng First Machinery Plant was presided over by Deputy Director Xiang Xiang Jingyu, who was then in charge of economic work; after completing the merger, Honggang Group established a factory-level management layer.

Fengcheng First Machinery Plant, originally possessing multiple branch factories and agencies, was dismantled; only the machinery manufacturing portion was retained in the Fengcheng area, while other branch factories were either functionally merged into the main factory zone, transferred to the Gangcheng Industrial Zone, or closed down on the spot or packaged for resale.

Therefore, looking at it now, Fengcheng Machinery Manufacturing Plant appeared more streamlined and easier to manage than the original First Machinery Plant.

The land vacated after the closure or adjustment of branch factories gave the main factory zone more space for construction.

Honggang Group did not come to integrate resources merely to repackage them and make a huge profit; they intended to truly build an industrial enterprise.

With the endorsement of the Provincial Industry Bureau and millions thrown down, anyone who calculated the accounts had to obediently shut their mouths.

The machinery plant possessed its original foundation, advanced technology and equipment injected and introduced by the group, and simultaneously adjusted the management models and policies from the Great Study Campaign.

Looking at it now, this enterprise had regained its vitality, possessing new momentum for industrial research and production.

According to Xiao Xiao Zihong, the person in charge of Fengcheng Machinery Manufacturing Plant, during his nearly three years at the machinery plant, leaders from the Provincial Industry Bureau had visited no fewer than ten times.

Not only did industrial leaders come, but representatives from technical research departments, industrial enterprises across the province, and local industrial management cadres also came in groups to visit and study.

When brother units from other provinces came for inspection and research, the Provincial Industry Bureau's first arrangement was also Fengcheng Machinery Plant.

Reform and development were Fengcheng Machinery Plant's true actions in practicing enterprise innovation and realizing the Four Modernizations.

The more the Provincial Industry Bureau valued Fengcheng Machinery Plant, and the more excellent the achievements the plant made, the more Li Li Xuewu, when communicating with the competent department in the plant's location, heard the other party mention that precisely because of the machinery plant's existence, other brother enterprises within the industrial zone were also self-adjusting.

They were learning from Fengcheng Machinery Plant to drive high-quality development with technological innovation as the lead, creating regional competitive innovative results, and achieving dual improvements in technology and production capacity.

On the evening of his arrival in Fengcheng, Li Li Xuewu met with Group Financial Director Xiang Xiang Jingyu, who had arrived shortly after.

He had first conducted research at Fengcheng Machinery Plant and listened to Xiao Xiao Zihong's work report.

They simply shared a meal, leaving Xiao Xiao Zihong time to report his work to Xiang Xiang Jingyu.

"Leader, Comrade Zhou has arrived."

Zhang Enyuan knocked lightly on the door and reported softly, "Shall I invite him over now?"

"Mm, brew him a cup of tea."

Li Li Xuewu was reading documents; hearing the report, he merely nodded, his brows still furrowed.

The secretary dared not disturb him further, turned, gently half-closed the door, and headed toward the reception room.

This was Zhou Zhou Changli's first time at the Machinery Plant Guesthouse, though he had heard Brother Biao mention its luxury, saying it used to be the official residence of a somewhat famous warlord.

Of course, not the most famous one, but this fertile land had never lacked ambitious heroes.

He had driven here himself; from the moment he entered the gate guard, his identity documents and the condition of his car had been thoroughly checked by the security here.

Guided by service staff, the car circled around the guesthouse building, turned past the canteen, and finally reached the independent villa zone located deeper within the guesthouse courtyard.

Even though there were only three French-style villas here, in Zhou Zhou Changli's view, this place was already luxuriously excessive.

The snow in the courtyard had not yet been cleared; under the glow of the low streetlights, it possessed a unique flavor.

If guesthouses nowadays possessed such scenery, one could imagine how extravagant it must have been when held by wealthy families in the past.

Upon entering the villa, one naturally could not see Wu Ge immediately; he had been arranged by the secretary to wait in the reception room.

Zhou Zhou Changli did not feel the slightest grievance about waiting in the living room; staying alone in that large hall would have made him feel panicked, whereas a smaller space felt safer.

He was not kept waiting long; shortly after the secretary left, someone came to tell him he could go upstairs, as the leader was waiting for him.

Zhang Enyuan had not met the other party much, nor did he know what relationship the other party shared with the leader.

But the fact that the leader was seeing him at this hour already explained the situation.

Not overly polite, yet not that serious either, he did not chat with the other party; he directly led him to the study on the second floor, knocked on the door again, stepped aside, and invited the other party to enter first.

Zhou Zhou Changli was somewhat unaccustomed to these formalities; with a slightly awkward smile, he walked into the room covered with thick carpet.

"Wu..." He was about to address the person, but seeing the authority radiating from Li Li Xuewu as he lifted his head behind the desk, he immediately changed his address to, "Greetings, Leader."

"Learned to be polite? Sit."

Li Li Xuewu glanced at him only once, casually gestured toward the sofa, and returned his gaze to the documents in his hand.

Zhou Zhou Changli pressed his lips together, glanced back at the secretary who had escorted him up; Secretary Zhang met his gaze, then moved to the tea cabinet to brew tea.

He did not know what he should do next; all the arguments he had rehearsed on the way seemed to have slipped away along with the urine he had spilled halfway there.

Zhang Enyuan finished brewing the hot tea, saw him still standing, set the tea on the coffee table, and raised a hand to gesture that he could take the seat there.

"Thank you." He had to learn such polite phrases; nowadays he was already a figure of no small stature in a certain field in Fengcheng.

Yes, he was referring to the field of material distribution.

The privately owned kind...

Li Li Xuewu finished reading the documents in his hands, then rose and walked out from behind the desk.

"You came alone?"

Seeing Zhou Zhou Changli about to rise again, he waved a hand to signal that there was no need for such courtesy, walked over to the three-seater sofa and sat down; Zhang Enyuan refilled his tea, placed the cup on the coffee table, and only then turned to leave.

"Yes, I drove here myself."

Zhou Zhou Changli grinned dryly at the corners of his mouth and explained, "Qin Laoer was supposed to come with me, but something urgent came up at the main warehouse, so I sent him to keep an eye on things there."

"Mm, very busy before and after the New Year, right?"

Li Li Xuewu lifted the teacup, took a sip, set it down, and gestured for him to drink as well.

Zhou Zhou Changli lifted the cup with somewhat nervous movements, took a sip, then, seeing Li Li Xuewu watching him, quickly set it down again.

"It's manageable; the busyness is just for these few months, and it will pass." He clenched his hands, awaiting Li Li Xuewu's test, as if he were sitting an examination.

Li Li Xuewu, however, did not make things difficult for him; he only asked about his life in Fengcheng and his actual difficulties.

This relaxed Zhou Zhou Changli somewhat; after chatting for a while, he recalled the report content he had prepared on the way and actively wanted to present it to him.

"Wu Ge, the main sales targets of the Fengcheng branch station this year have increased compared to previous years by..."

His words were not yet finished; he had barely begun when Li Li Xuewu waved a hand to cut him off.

"In the future, there is no need to report such work to me."

Li Li Xuewu looked at him and said, "You certainly know to whom you should report, don't you?"

Having said that, he sized Zhou Zhou Changli up from head to toe and asked, "You've been married for nearly a year, haven't you? No children yet?"

"We wanted to, but her younger brothers are still too small and need someone to look after them; on my end..."

He scratched his head, smiled awkwardly, and explained, "We're still young; waiting a bit longer is fine."

"How old is the youngest?" Li Li Xuewu knew the situation of his partner's family, having heard about it from Zhao Xiao Laosan.

"Qin Laoda is thirteen; I arranged for him to attend school in Fengcheng. At that age, how could he not be in school?"

Zhou Zhou Changli rubbed his chin in embarrassment and said, "Qin Laoer and Xiao Xiao Laosan are following me to learn how to handle affairs."

"Wang Ya is doing well as an elder sister."

Li Li Xuewu smiled at him and teased, "Don't you feel it's a loss? She only thinks of her younger brothers."

"Well... hey—" Zhou Zhou Changli lowered his head, chuckled, and said, "For someone like me, having someone who cares is already quite good; what is there to be picky about?"

"Besides, she is not that kind of person."

He voluntarily explained on behalf of his beloved: "It's simply that the three boys are too much to handle; Qin Laoer and Xiao Xiao Laosan need to settle down a bit before we can attend to ourselves."

"An elder sister is like a mother; as her brother-in-law, I must at least consider her feelings."

Very much afraid that Li Li Xuewu might misunderstand or look down on his family, Zhou Zhou Changli also explained Wang Ya's situation.

After hearing him out, Li Li Xuewu nodded and then asked, "Has your father-in-law come to Fengcheng to cause you trouble?"

"He came, but I didn't even meet him; Wang Ya took my few younger brothers-in-law and sent him packing."

Zhou Zhou Changli gave an awkward smile and said, "I wanted to give him some money to send him away, but Wang Ya disagreed, saying her father is a dog... well, that's just his nature; it can't be changed."

He had only spoken half the sentence when he realized such words should not be spoken to Li Li Xuewu.

"How is your family?"

Li Li Xuewu asked no further about Wang Ya's side and instead showed concern for his family's situation.

"They're doing well; my father's job at the workshop is stable, and now there's even less worry for us siblings; life is much more comfortable."

He smiled as he recounted, "Last month I received a letter telling me not to send money home anymore; it said Qin Laoer found a job at the subdistrict office and is now learning to drive."

"It was arranged by Brother Shen; I know that."

Zhou Zhou Changli was smart; how could he not know his own younger brother's nature?

Regardless of how he himself used to make a racket on the subdistrict streets back in the day, his younger brothers and sisters were all honest children.

His second younger brother was especially honest, with a nature that never made mistakes; in the old saying, he was a 'dough face'.

Everyone says such a character is good, but honest people get bullied, and finding work is even harder.

He had originally planned to bring his second younger brother to Fengcheng for training once he was a bit older; even if Wu Ge found out, he would have been willing to take that risk.

After all, one cannot look after one's younger brothers-in-law while neglecting one's own siblings.

He just hadn't expected that last year his second younger brother would be recruited by the subdistrict office, supposedly to learn driving and become a truck driver.

Even a complete fool could figure out what was really going on; Shen Shen Guodong was quite influential in the Dongcheng area, so taking care of his family members was absolutely no problem.

When he mentioned this in a phone call with Zhao Xiao Laosan, Zhao Xiao Laosan told him that Li Li Xuewu's arrangement for Shen Shen Guodong to develop in Jingcheng had precisely this kind of intention and preparation in mind.

Among those who came out of Jingcheng, who uprooted their entire families and dragged everyone along?

Didn't they all have family remaining in Jingcheng? Without some connection to look after them, who would be willing to work steadily and risk their lives?

Zhou Zhou Changli's contributions were sufficient, so his family members naturally enjoyed this treatment; the same applied to Zhao Xiao Laosan.

He had younger brothers and sisters, and Zhao Xiao Laosan also had two younger brothers; what was even stronger was that Zhao Liu Lao Wu and Zhao Zhou Lao Liu had long ago been brought in by Zhao Xiao Laosan, who had thick enough skin to arrange it.

Li Li Xuewu did not oppose brothers and sisters helping each other; it was acceptable during the initial learning phase, but once assuming responsible positions, they could not cluster together.

Thus, the three Zhao brothers went their separate ways.

Now Zhou Zhou Changli had also reached this realization; his younger brother developing in Jingcheng was better than following him.

With Shen Shen Guodong there, where was the need for him to worry about whether his younger brother would be bullied?

Of course, since he enjoyed this treatment, he had to work even harder.

It was just that Li Li Xuewu wouldn't listen to his report, which left him feeling stifled and uncomfortable.

"Alright, as long as I see you're doing well, that's enough."

Li Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, saying, "Work hard, start a family and establish a career; that's what the old saying goes."

"I understand, thank you, Wu Ge."

Zhou Zhou Changli didn't understand why he had been called over at this time; nothing important had been said, only small talk about daily life—what did this mean?

When Secretary Zhang saw him out, he was still baffled; could it be that Wu Ge was simply concerned about him?

"I have a slight headache." Xiang Xiang Jingyu rubbed her temples, half-closing her eyes as she looked at Li Li Xuewu opposite her and said, "It seems I've caught a chill."

"In the Northeast weather, especially at night, if you're not careful, you'll catch a cold."

Li Li Xuewu stood up, walked over, and reached out to test the temperature of her forehead; looking at her docile appearance, he teased her, "Actually, the temperature felt by hand isn't accurate; do you know where to measure body temperature for the most accuracy?"

"Do you have any decency at all?" Xiang Xiang Jingyu rolled her eyes at him, then took the opportunity to close her eyes and said, "If it weren't for you, would I need to come to Fengcheng to suffer like this?"

"No way?" Li Li Xuewu looked at her suspiciously and asked, "Aren't you here to lay low?"

"Can you even tell if the temperature is high from there?"

Xiang Xiang Jingyu opened her eyes, looked at him suspiciously, and shot a glance at that shameless fellow.

Li Li Xuewu just smiled, turned, and went to the tea cabinet, saying, "You do have a slight fever; drink more hot water, or shall I give you an injection?"

"Get lost—" Xiang Xiang Jingyu rolled over onto her stomach on the bed and said listlessly, "No good intentions."

"This is my room, you know."

Li Li Xuewu emphasized with amusement, picked up his teacup, and walked back over; stopping before the bed, he gestured to her and said, "My advice is to drink more hot water."

Only when Xiang Xiang Jingyu rolled her eyes and took the water cup did he add, "If that doesn't work, then get an injection."

"I don't have the strength to go back right now."

Xiang Xiang Jingyu had been arranged to stay in the room next door; she had come over alone, avoiding the secretary, and naturally, her coming to Fengcheng was for him; otherwise, wouldn't her trip have been in vain?

It was just that things didn't go as wished; as soon as she landed, she caught a cold, and in this condition, doing *that* was no longer appropriate.

Li Li Xuewu was obviously joking; he wasn't crazy enough to want to try what a temperature of 38.5 degrees felt like.

"It would be nice if there were a heated kang bed."

He reached out and touched the area beneath Xiang Xiang Jingyu, saying, "Wind-cold is actually easiest to resolve; cover up thickly with a big quilt and keep drinking hot water; sweating all night should mostly cure it."

"Who could endure that? It's miserably uncomfortable."

Xiang Xiang Jingyu looked at him and said, "Why don't you send me back? I don't want to infect you."

"My constitution is fine; I'm afraid if you go back now, you'll catch another chill and truly fall ill."

Li Li Xuewu walked out of the room, went next door, and brought back another quilt to cover her with.

"No matter how uncomfortable you feel, you must endure it; don't stop the hot water; once the wind-cold vents out, you'll be fine."

He reminded Xiang Xiang Jingyu, "It's best not to let it reach the lungs; otherwise, there's a risk of pneumonia."

"I know, thank you."

Xiang Xiang Jingyu lay back down on the bed; watching him busy himself, she said faintly, "I didn't expect you had this side to you?"

"Which side?" Li Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked, "You mean being caring?"

"Heh—" Xiang Xiang Jingyu didn't speak, just smiled at him.

"What kind of person am I in your heart?"

Li Li Xuewu sat on the sofa by the bed, crossed his right leg, and looking at her asked, "Handsome as a jade tree, dashing and unrestrained, elegant in manner, gentle and warm like jade?"

"Hehehe, can you stop trying to make me laugh?"

Xiang Xiang Jingyu was truly amused by him; tilting her head, she looked at him and said, "None of what you said has anything to do with you."

"Impossible, right?" Li Li Xuewu tilted his head, gesturing to her, "Take another good look; should I go find you a mirror?"

The mirror he mentioned wasn't a looking glass, but spectacles, which earned him another eye-roll from Xiang Xiang Jingyu.

"It's precisely because I'm not blind that I'm so certain."

Xiang Xiang Jingyu turned her head, slightly narrowing her eyes as she looked at the pattern on the wallpaper, and said, "All men are the same."

"Ai-hai, I think I get it now."

Li Li Xuewu suddenly assumed an expression of realization, looked at her, and said, "Once a woman says something like this, it means she's encountered setbacks in love, or difficulties in life."

"Anyone can say things that tar everyone with the same brush, but they don't say them often."

Pretending to be a psychological expert, he teased her, "Why don't you share your troubles with me?"

"What? Do you want to have a laugh?"

Xiang Xiang Jingyu turned her head to look at him and said, "Do you especially love hearing about this kind of thing, mocking my failures?"

"Look at you, overthinking it, aren't you?"

Li Li Xuewu smiled, leaned back on the sofa, raised an eyebrow, and said, "How about I share my failures with you first?"

"I don't want to hear it; not a single word you say is true; it's all deceptive nonsense."

Xiang Xiang Jingyu would never fall for his wicked tricks; that scoundrel was never serious.

Li Li Xuewu helplessly spread his hands and said, "Actually, I really do want to chat with you; lately, there have been quite a few frustrating matters."

"About the steel and automobile production accident?"

Xiang Xiang Jingyu naturally knew about this; looking at him, she said, "If you don't make a decision when you should, you'll suffer the consequences instead."

"You wouldn't be thinking of giving Old Su a chance to undermine the foundations of Liaodong's industry, would you?"

With a serious expression, she reminded him, "Never be overly confident, thinking Liaodong's industry is an ironclad block; the person you might be trying to protect may not even be on the same page as you."

"Who am I trying to protect?" Li Li Xuewu twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "I've never said I was trying to protect anyone."

He stood up, walked to the other side of the bed, and lay down beside her; clasping his hands behind his head, he looked at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling and said, "You haven't been down there; you don't know the difficulty of weighing pros and cons."

"Whether or not Lü Yuanshen gets moved isn't important; what matters is that the development of Steel Auto must not be affected."

Li Li Xuewu turned his head to look at her and emphasized, "Steel Auto has existed for only three years so far; it hasn't had the time or energy to cultivate a complete organizational structure."

"Actually, you should understand this point better than I do: whether in the various branch companies or the various production units, there is a widespread deficiency in the management capabilities of deputy positions."

He lay back down properly and explained helplessly, "It will take several years to shorten and make up for this defect."

"At a time like this, moving even a single Sha Sha Qizi is a dangerous link for the entire chess game."

"It seems you truly haven't gone soft-hearted."

Xiang Xiang Jingyu's voice sounded somewhat depressed as she spoke with a faint nasal tone: "The pressure here at the Group isn't small either; your work is indeed difficult to do."

"I am also conflicted; I neither hope Old Li swings his fists nor hope Old Su sets obstacles."

He turned over, looked at Xiang Xiang Jingyu's profile, and asked, "Do you think all this maneuvering back and forth is meaningful?"

"You're asking me this?" Xiang Xiang Jingyu suddenly found it quite amusing; she glanced at him and asked, "Have you forgotten how you yourself reached this position today?"

"Entirely due to my work achievements and hard work."

Li Li Xuewu curled the corner of his mouth and emphasized, "Do you agree with this point or not?"

"What if I don't agree?" Xiang Xiang Jingyu countered, "Are you going to take revenge on me?"

"I'll give you an injection using the thickest needle."

Li Li Xuewu threatened "ferociously," "You wouldn't want your buttocks to blossom, would you?"

Xiang Xiang Jingyu rolled her eyes at him and said, "This is the extent of your skill; you can even be threatened by Old Su."

"Actually, I don't have any negative emotions."

Li Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows, looked at her, and said, "I actually hope there are different voices within the Group; if everyone above and below sings the same tune, I'm afraid before I even worry, those above will take action."

He extended a finger and pointed beneath the quilt at Xiang Xiang Jingyu's chest to remind her, "So you should also pay attention; don't just drift with the current, you must have your own temper."

"Is my temper not enough already?"

Xiang Xiang Jingyu narrowed her eyes and said, "Should I make you the first target? It wouldn't be excessive for me to kick someone while they're down at a time like this; after all, our conflict is quite deep."

"Indeed, very, very deep."

Li Li Xuewu helplessly closed his eyes and said, "Yes, at a time like this things should be even harder for me; how could you stand by with folded hands? If you didn't step on me a couple of times, how would you vent your hatred?"

"Then it's settled."

Xiang Xiang Jingyu said with a smile, "In the next half year, I will reject one-third of the applications submitted by your Liaodong branch."

"There's no need to be this ruthless, is there?"

Li Li Xuewu opened his eyes, stared at her, and said, "This isn't kicking someone while they're down; this is getting there first; you're even more ruthless than Old Su."

"Isn't that just perfect?" Xiang Xiang Jingyu smiled like a fox and asked, "Given that I'm being so ruthless, what do you think Old Su will think?"

"Don't go too far; if Old Su collapses, it's actually no good for you or me, especially for you."

Li Li Xuewu pointed at her to remind her, "Old Li has become a bit bloated; he needs someone to set obstacles for him."

"On the point of checking and balancing Old Li, you are truly unwavering." Xiang Xiang Jingyu looked at him with emotion and asked, "If one day I also reach that stage, will you also prepare to find someone to check and balance me?"

"You don't need checking and balancing; you don't have that ambition." Li Li Xuewu stated very frankly, "Old Li's ambition is something you could never imagine."

"Do you know? The danger of his swelling ambition does not stem from the ambition itself, but from his ignorance."

Li Li Xuewu emphasized very seriously, "It is his ignorance regarding the assessment of future situations, as well as his lack of key capabilities and shortcomings in execution ability."

"Running too fast makes it easy to tear an egg."

"Your description is actually quite apt—" Xiang Xiang Jingyu shook her head with amusement and sighed emotionally, "I really don't understand you now; what exactly is your relationship with Old Li?"

She turned her head to size up Li Li Xuewu and asked suspiciously, "You must be supporting his work; everyone in the entire Group firmly believes this."

"But you are also the one who sets the most ruthless obstacles for him; even he himself doesn't know this point."

Xiang Xiang Jingyu turned around to face him directly and asked, "So, are you ultimately his supporter or his nightmare?"

"I can only say that my heart is entirely for the public good."

Li Li Xuewu pressed his lips together, smiled, and said, "I don't want to see him living in hardship, yet I cannot bear to see him not suffer a little hardship."

"You truly are a complete... bastard!"

Xiang Xiang Jingyu interpreted very precisely what kind of person he was; very precisely.

Li Li Xuewu did not object to this point; he stated very frankly, "Honggang Group needs Director Li; it needs a Director Li who is magnanimous and forever striving on the road, not an arrogant and conceited Director Li."

Xiang Xiang Jingyu naturally understood what he was talking about; she looked at him and asked, "Then what kind of Financial Director does Honggang Group need? One who listens to the Secretary-General?"

"If you were obedient, you would already have received an injection."

Li Li Xuewu gave a mischievous smile and said, "Actually, this way you recover faster because you sweat quickly."

Since Financial Director Xiang Xiang Jingyu's cold had worsened, she had to postpone the inspection itinerary; Li Li Xuewu went alone to lead the team to Tadong Airport to meet with the stationed reception team and held an on-site office meeting.

Xiang Xiang Jingyu came to Fengcheng mainly for these few tasks: besides inspecting the Fengcheng Machinery Factory and Tadong Airport, she also needed to listen to Bu Bu Qingfang's report from United Energy and simultaneously launch an investigation into the United Energy power plant project.

But under her current condition, she could neither go to the site nor have the energy to listen to reports; she could only rest well.

She should have listened to Li Li Xuewu; perhaps if she had taken an injection, she would have recovered already, and wouldn't be on an IV drip now.

It hadn't developed into pneumonia, but since Xiang Xiang Jingyu needed to recover as soon as possible, she used antibiotics.

In this era, hanging antibiotics for a cold was truly effective; recovery was very fast, with cases of getting well the same evening after a daytime injection, unlike the situation in later generations where seven or eight days wouldn't suffice for recovery.

Xiang Xiang Jingyu remained at the guesthouse, while Li Li Xuewu met Wang Xin at Tadong Airport, who had specifically waited there for them.

"Coming here last time and coming this time must involve different moods, right?" Wang Xin gestured toward the airport below the glass window and asked him, "Do you have the determination to go all out?"

"Not at all; I'm thinking about how to plug this hole." Li Li Xuewu turned his head to glance at him and said, "Just now the leader of the reception team told me that Tadong Airport's annual operational volume doesn't even reach one-tenth of Fengcheng Airport's total; what is the situation here?"

"Sigh, does this even need explaining?"

Wang Xin also sighed helplessly and said, "Although the Third Ministry of Machinery transferred the airport to us, this side is also used for daily training; the aircraft taking off and landing are all fighter jets, so how could they allocate so many passenger planes?"

"That's exactly why there is such a huge hole."

Li Li Xuewu nodded with understanding and also made an assertion that caused Wang Xin to shake his head helplessly.

"What do you plan to do?"

Wang Xin looked at the empty airport runway and asked, "Are you trying to increase passenger volume, or do you plan to launch some other project?"

"Haven't decided yet; we'll talk once we have," Li Li Xuewu replied, not a single word of certainty ever leaving his lips; no wonder Xiang Xiang Jingyu was unwilling to listen to his nonsense.

Although Wang Xin did not know him as well as Xiang Xiang Jingyu did, he had long seen through what kind of person he was.

"We've already signed our cooperation agreement, and the airport procedures are underway; are you still guarding against me?"

He said with amusement, "Secretary-General Li needn't be so cautious; I'm hardly an enemy."

"But you are one of our own."

Li Li Xuewu first joked with him, and seeing him roll his eyes in irritation, he said lightly, "I truly haven't made up my mind on how to proceed."

Without waiting for further questions, he continued, "First, let's reopen the air routes to Northern Su and Riben; if we can also open one to Northern Chao, that would be even better."

Walking over to the sofa in the airport lounge, he sat down and, gazing out the window at the airport, said, "Our ultimate ideal is to establish a cargo route to East De; we are confident this line will be profitable."

"Of course! Of course you're confident."

Wang Xin, now interested in his explanation, sat beside him and said earnestly, "If Tadong Airport can truly open a route to East De, Fengcheng will surely become a distribution hub for advanced European goods."

"Air freight costs are still very high," Li Li Xuewu said, shaking his head slightly and curling his lip. "I'm not sure there's sufficient local consumption power for expensive goods."

"Then do you plan to return empty?"

Wang Xin glanced at him and said, "That can't be right; are you transporting high-precision, cutting-edge industrial equipment?"

"That is part of the plan, but not all of it," Li Li Xuewu said, looking at him. "There will also be people: engineers and skilled workers from East De."

"We have purchased a large batch of industrial projects in East De, and the other party will provide technical support."

He spread his hands and explained, "We intend to use this as the justification to apply for the route; whether it gets approved depends on the authorities above."

"The Group is already working on this."

"I knew you must have a plan."

Wang Xin nodded and said readily, "If there's anything you need from us, just say the word; don't stand on ceremony."

"Who's standing on ceremony with you?" Li Li Xuewu said with a smile, looking at him. "I mentioned the matter of large cargo aircraft to you a long time ago; is there any progress now?"

"Uh—well—soon."

Wang Xin hadn't expected him to bring this up suddenly and hesitated before giving a vague answer.

That answer was just like "next time for sure," "let's eat together when we're free," or "I'll return home next week"—all nonsense.

Li Li Xuewu didn't press him; Shenfei was currently fraught with problems of its own, and he already felt surprised that they had managed to achieve this series of cooperations.

"If you can't produce them, we'll have no choice but to purchase Il-14s through international traders."

"You have channels to obtain Il-14s?"

Wang Xin was somewhat skeptical of his words and reminded him, "Forget about it domestically for now; even supplying spare parts for maintenance is a problem."

"Hmm, East De has channels in this regard."

Li Li Xuewu explained lightly, "They are authorized to produce them, or Czechoslovakia would work too."

"That's true." Only after hearing this did Wang Xin realize that the Honggang Group intended to introduce transport aircraft through these two channels; indeed, only these two possibilities remained.

Northern Su itself would basically not offer procurement plans for this aircraft unless the buyer was a member of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.

Meanwhile, East De needed money, and Czechoslovakia had rebellious tendencies; neither side would feel much pressure doing such things.

However, domestic procurement and foreign procurement should be two different matters; at the very least, the costs differ significantly.

"Let me think of another solution for you."

Wang Xin pondered for a moment and said, "If necessary, we could lower the procurement standards; after all, there are many types of transport aircraft. For short-haul transport in the Northeast Asia region, there's absolutely no need to use the Il series, right?"

"The reason we favor the Il isn't because we have money, but because we don't," Li Li Xuewu explained helplessly. "Precisely because we lack funds, we must budget carefully; older models have maintenance costs high enough to consume all our profits, which would make the whole endeavor pointless."

"I know, I understand, I get it."

Wang Xin pressed his palms down and said seriously, "Trust me; I'm the professional here."

"Just give me a little time; I'll go back and ask around; maybe there are other resources available."

He explained, "Domestically, there are some aircraft that are no longer in use; although the models are somewhat old, they are absolutely usable and durable."

"I know you aim to open trade routes with Riben and Northern Chao; these aircraft models are sufficient for that purpose."

"Then we'll wait for your good news," Li Li Xuewu said with a smile, patting his knee. "After all, as you said, you're the professional."

"If we can indeed procure more tonnage of aircraft with limited funds, wouldn't that be a good thing?"

As he said this, he sighed and added, "It's all because of lack of money; if we had funds and Liaodong had a market, we'd even be willing to use aircraft to transport beef, mutton, and seafood."

"Then at what price per jin do you plan to sell that beef and seafood?" Wang Xin asked with an amused shake of his head; he really couldn't imagine which spendthrift would use aircraft to transport such things, going to such extravagancy just for a bite to eat?

Li Li Xuewu merely smiled and did not explain to him how insane this world would become, nor how in the future it would grow so mad that it would feel as though a makeshift troupe were managing the world.

One might say that people in later generations becoming increasingly selfish is wrong, or that their idling away youth by not working is a mistaken life concept, but one cannot say it is wrong for them not to help an elderly person who has fallen; it is not that the young have changed, but that society has.

Li Li Xuewu stayed at Tadong Airport for less than two hours, a period that included his conversation with Wang Xin.

As he saw Li Li Xuewu off to his car, Wang Xin was still discussing industrial cooperation, primarily concerning tertiary industry.

"Have you started a new cooperation project with Second Auto? Could you include us as well?"

He said this without any pressure, far more assertive than before; being a major shareholder really made a difference.

Li Li Xuewu turned his head to glance at him and said, "Won't you initiate cooperation talks yourselves? Go talk to Second Auto."

"We've only just begun working in this area; we're still in the learning phase and cannot be too impatient."

Wang Xin said with a smile, "We can't possibly undertake independent projects right from the start; it's far more reliable to develop alongside you while learning."

"Good, you haven't let money go to your head."

Li Li Xuewu glanced at him with a smile, extended his hand, and said, "When I return to Jing, I'll ask Second Auto about it; if there's an opportunity, cooperation is certainly possible."

Li Li Xuewu smiled and glanced at him, extending his hand as he said, "When I return to the capital, I'll ask Second Automobile Works; if there's an opportunity, cooperation is certainly possible."

"It's better to be a bit more reliable."

Wang Xin gripped his hand and refused to let go, pressing further: "Can't you call and ask today? We're ready to negotiate anytime on our end."

"That depends on whether you lot are reliable."

Li Li Xuewu squeezed his hand and said, "You know what I want, hmm?"

"I know, I know." Wang Xin helplessly released his hand, nodded, and said, "You want a big plane."