Chapter 1558: The Chicken Soup Is About to Be Drunk for Nothing

"Why pay attention to the Northern Industry Daily?"

Wang Yajuan chased into Li Xuewu's office, looked at him puzzled and asked: "Could it be that you are still thinking about that Reporter Liu?"

She naturally didn't doubt that Li Xuewu had sparks of love with that female reporter. She felt that Li Xuewu was making a fuss about nothing, holding onto this matter and not letting go?

Li Xuewu raised his head and glanced at her, and his vision fell back on the document in his hand.

"If you don't forget, there will be an echo."

He raised his hand and put the read document on the desk, picked up the teacup and took a sip, saying: "This sentence may not be me, but her?"

"Are you too suspicious?"

Wang Yajuan walked to one side of the desk, bowed slightly and looked at him and asked: "Is she attacking you again?"

"Hehe—" Li Xuewu smiled and put down the teacup in his hand, turned his head to look at her and asked: "Do you think I arranged for you to watch her to death because of this?"

"Joke—" He drooped his eyelids, turned to pick up the fountain pen and made instructions on the document, while explaining: "The attitude of the Northern Industry Daily is problematic."

"Problematic, it turns out to be problematic."

Wang Yajuan raised her eyebrows and emphasized: "But I haven't seen them have any other actions recently."

She still didn't understand what Li Xuewu was sensitive about, or knew some things she didn't know.

"It will be too late when you know—"

Li Xuewu signed his name and put the document aside. That pile was what he had already read.

While picking up a new one and placing it in front of him, while opening it, he said: "The enemy is in the sky, underground, in the water, and next door."

The document in his hand is not troublesome, he glanced at it and there was no problem, so he signed it, but he had to check it carefully to sign it.

However, this focus did not delay dealing with Wang Yajuan's doubts, and even told her about the struggle experience.

"What we can do, and must do, is to watch them, catch them, and kill them."

The document in his hand was not troublesome, he glanced at it and there was no problem, so he signed it, but his mouth was ruthless.

Wang Yajuan was shocked, but her voice was a few degrees softer, and she asked: "Are you saying they are still..."

"You can describe them as having a thief's heart but not dying. I won't feel it's too much." Li Xuewu raised his head to look at her, tilted his head slightly and emphasized: "Because this is the fact."

Wang Yajuan's mouth opened slightly, looking very surprised, "I thought... she said..."

"Do I still need to teach you the truth that you know people and faces but don't know hearts?" Li Xuewu closed the document, pinched the fountain pen in his hand and said: "Are you doubting me?"

"No, I just don't understand."

Wang Yajuan stood up straight, looked at him with confusion, but still said: "You don't have to doubt my loyalty."

"Well, loyalty, to whom?"

Li Xuewu couldn't help but smile, put the document aside, sat up straight and said: "That Reporter Liu has a very complicated background relationship."

"If you still have contact with her."

He looked at Wang Yajuan and nodded very seriously: "Don't talk nonsense, think twice before you act."

"We don't have much contact. She took the initiative to call me a few times, but it was all business work."

Wang Yajuan thought about it carefully and said seriously again: "She called a few times wanting our factory's propaganda materials. I didn't give it to her. Later, she didn't call me again."

"Maybe she feels you are impervious to oil and salt, and don't know current affairs." Li Xuewu laughed meaningfully, and picked up a document to read while saying: "She has great ability, running everywhere to choose a daughter-in-law for that one."

"Who? Whose daughter-in-law?"

Wang Yajuan didn't understand his words, looked at him puzzled and asked: "Could it be that she wants to..."

"Hehe, you think too much."

Li Xuewu knew she had misunderstood, raised his head and pretended to look at her seriously, then shook his head with a light smile and said: "Although your appearance, character, and origin are all sufficient, there is one thing that is not qualified."

"What? What are you talking about?"

Wang Yajuan became more and more confused, walked to his side, frowned and asked: "Can you make it clear."

"Nothing, that's my fault."

Li Xuewu lowered his head to look at the document, while fooling around and explaining: "You just need to know that she is not a good person, and be wary of her."

"What are you saying, it's not coherent."

Wang Yajuan glared at him, and then one hand supported the desk, turned to look at him and asked: "Do you think the Northern Industry Daily doesn't intend to let us go?"

"Literati—" Li Xuewu looked back at her, smiled and said: "They are all narrow-minded."

"What kind of mess—"

Wang Yajuan was completely confused by him. She only knew that he wanted her to watch the Northern Industry Daily, but she hadn't figured out which aspect to watch.

Li Xuewu didn't intend to make it clear to her. This kind of thing can only be understood and cannot be said. Saying it too directly is easy to leave hidden dangers, including for Wang Yajuan.

He never thought about using anyone, and would never use Wang Yajuan's trust in him to instruct her to do anything against her conscience. Being a person still needs to be kind.

From the first article the Northern Industry Daily wrote about the Red Steel Group, the Group Propaganda Department had been watching them, including the attitude of the newspaper itself, and also investigating the reporter who wrote this article.

The Group Propaganda Department paid more attention to the event itself and the attitude of the newspaper, and did not have detailed investigation and research on the reporter himself.

But Li Xuewu is different. He is from a security cadre background and is particularly sensitive to this kind of thing.

When the reporter Liu Hongmei of the Northern Industry Daily published articles targeting the Red Steel Group one after another, and even started to watch him, Liu Hongmei's relevant information was placed on his desk.

In the industrial system, in this area of Beijing, Li Xuewu still has some ability. Many members of the club are scattered all over the country like stars, but the connection has not been broken.

Don't look at Li Xuewu as just an industrial enterprise cadre, but the support he can provide is far beyond what ordinary people can imagine.

Who dares to say Li Xuewu has no ability?

It's really a joke. The Red Steel Group has sales networks and business contacts all over the country, with hundreds of related units, and people from all walks of life. Who dares to say they don't need him?

Li Xuewu's work now is more than half answering phones and making calls. Even Li Huai De cannot ignore this network of his.

It's just a newspaper reporter in the industrial system. Can the background relationship be more complicated than the big net that Li Xuewu has woven for more than four years?

What she has done, how she did it, what kind of social relationship she has behind her, and the work relationship of her main relatives, not a thick book, Li Xuewu knows her like the back of his hand.

Looking back, when Li Xuewu treated their meeting indifferently, it was respect for the group's work, and also the forbearance of not wanting the situation to ferment further.

But this forbearance does not mean that the other party can be a tiger, intensify, or even let the mentality of making things happen come back to life.

That's why he told Wang Yajuan to watch the other party to death, wait for the opportunity to catch the other party, and kill the other party.

"Director Zhang, you are looking for me."

Wang Min hurried back from the outside, took off his coat, saw the office director Zhang Jing coming out of the office, and took the initiative to ask.

Zhang Jing had work to report to Li Xuewu's office, so he said briefly: "Draw some manpower from below, you lead the team to Fengcheng to support the Tadong Airport project."

"Ah?!" Wang Min just took off his coat, and now let him put it on again?

"Ah what ah." Zhang Jing walked out and said: "You contact the Tadong Airport project department to see what kind of support they need."

"Director, I just came back."

Wang Min threw his coat on the chair and chased Zhang Jing, reminding: "We just finished our work on the Steel Auto side. I didn't rest last weekend and the weekend before last."

"Why so much nonsense."

Zhang Jing stopped, looked him up and down, and said: "Do you have any revolutionary work spirit? What about the oath of serving the people and dedicating to the organization that you made at the beginning?"

"Director, don't be guilty when you say this—" Wang Min complained with a bitter face: "Someone introduced me to a partner, saying that I want to meet, and it has been delayed three times. Still delaying?"

He emphasized with a pleading tone: "Director, you don't want me to be a bachelor for a lifetime, right?"

"That is to say, I can't find a partner, and I'm sloppy all day long. It doesn't look good on your face, right?"

"Are you threatening me?"

Zhang Jing raised his tone, seeing that he was no longer complaining, but the unwillingness on his face was still full. He poked Wang Min with his elbow and whispered: "Why are you so dead-headed?"

"Director, you say this... the full man doesn't know the hungry man is hungry—"

The office usually doesn't have too serious an atmosphere. Zhang Jing is not an old cadre, and Wang Min and the others are not old stubborns. The age difference is not much, and it is very casual to talk in private.

Seeing that the director didn't let go, Wang Min was also helpless, and could only follow the other party's words to remind: "Our office has been sweet for two weeks, and Old Li and I have had a hard life—"

The two weeks he said were not time, but Zhou Peilan and Zhou Linghua. Last year, I don't know which string was played correctly, but the two actually started a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship.

The office naturally doesn't recommend love, but there is no explicit regulation that it is not allowed. The group organ management measures only stipulate that husband and wife and father and son relationships are not allowed to work in the same department.

As long as the two don't get married and don't affect work, the leaders take care of it, so no one says anything.

But Wang Min wants to say, dog food is hard to eat!

"What kind of fart, why didn't I hear Little Ma complain?" Zhang Jing laughed and patted his forehead lightly, saying: "Just work hard, there will be one in the future."

"Little Ma? You don't mention him, I don't want to say—" Wang Min seemed to be a cat stepped on its tail, almost jumping up to accuse Ma Baosen.

"You don't know, this Little Ma is with Little Yang of finance!"

His demeanor, this tone, is like a big mother at the entrance of the village, just short of slapping his thigh to tell Zhang Jing gossip.

"What Little Ma Little Sheep—"

Zhang Jing looked at him with a smile and said: "I tell you that comrade relations should be harmonious, don't engage in opposition, and don't engage in isolation."

"Who isolates whom—" Wang Min was pitiful and complained again: "They are in pairs, coming in and out, and don't allow us to talk about it?"

He pointed to himself and pointed to the office and said: "Now Old Li and I are the two who are isolated. We are the victims—"

"Alright, what kind of mess."

Zhang Jing looked at him playing treasure, just felt funny, reached out and patted his shoulder and whispered: "Old Liu of the union introduced that partner to you, I have seen it."

"What? Director—" Wang Min suddenly widened his eyes, his eyes full of little stars, looking at him expectantly and asking: "Director, that... how is that girl?"

"Not so good, not worthy of you."

Zhang Jing shook his head slightly, and said in the tone of a person who has come over: "I am not old-fashioned, but whether it is from the standpoint of the organization or personal feelings, I do not support it."

He curled his lips and said seriously: "They are all people in our factory. I can't say where they are not good, only that you are not suitable."

Seeing Wang Min's mood instantly low, he poked him with his elbow again, raised his eyebrows and reminded: "You are not bad-looking, have culture and thoughts, and are very humorous. Are you still afraid of not finding a partner?"

"I don't have time to find a partner."

Wang Min said with a bitter face: "The union told me that there is no such shop after this village."

"Don't listen to Old Liu's fart—" Zhang Jing reminded him softly: "That girl he introduced to you has a relative relationship with him. Who do you say he will favor?"

"Ah?" Wang Min revealed a clear and stupid look just like when he first entered the factory after graduation, which made Zhang Jing feel unbearable.

"You are just not enlightened—"

Zhang Jing pointed at him, hating iron for not becoming steel and whispered: "Our group leaders don't say, several middle and high-level cadres also have suitable girls at home, haven't you thought about... that?"

"That?" Wang Min was stunned for a moment, tilted his head, like a stupid roe deer.

"Are you saying... this!"

Wang Min suddenly flushed, stammered and said: "I don't need those... I am not that kind of person..."

"What kind of person?" Zhang Jing glared at him and said: "I see that you usually perform well, so I tell you this. Don't be ungrateful."

"No, Director, I am not talking about you."

Wang Min knew he said the wrong thing, explained awkwardly: "I am talking about myself..."

"Alright—" Zhang Jing pointed to the direction of the next office and said: "I still have to report work to the leader, you think about it yourself."

Seeing Wang Min follow up again, and holding his arm, he said angrily: "Use your brain, can't you have both fish and bear's paw?"

"Leader's family's daughter is all a big lady? All savage and unreasonable?" He emphasized: "On the contrary, a good family can cultivate better thoughts, more culture, and more enterprising good girls."

Zhang Jing saw that he was still confused, pointed at him and said: "Do you know Gu Cheng, the secretary of Deputy Director Su?"

"You know what he was before, not even as good as you, just a small secretary in the office."

He raised his eyebrows and said: "Look at him now, and do you know who his father-in-law is?"

"Boy, keep your heart, life is just like that, don't be confused, do your work well, perform well, and someone will notice you sooner or later."

"Ah! Director—"

Wang Min seemed to be enlightened. Seeing him going to the Secretary-General's office, he suddenly remembered something, so he grabbed the other party and asked: "I heard that the Secretary-General's sister is still single..."

"Hey!" Zhang Jing was shocked, reached out and grabbed Wang Min's arm, stared and scolded him: "I'm letting you keep your heart, not letting you go to death!"

"I know, well, I know."

Li Xuewu nodded from time to time with the phone in his hand, and wrote something on the document with a fountain pen in the other hand, flexible with two hearts.

"I can understand your mood."

He said to the other end of the phone in a very peaceful tone: "Thank you very much for your concern for the Red Star Factory. The opinions of old cadres have always been the focus of the Group Management Committee."

"Being able to hear different opinions is also what we expect. Director Li also emphasized this point many times at the meeting."

Li Xuewu was not surprised to receive such a call. After all, not everyone is qualified to call Li Huai De directly, and the general manager's office does not transfer it.

However, his phone has never filtered out such calls. The office side dare not intercept his phone. This is the work principle.

The other end of the phone was obviously holding back anger, complaining a lot on the phone, and didn't say less about the closed doors and cold sarcasm encountered in these days.

What else can Li Xuewu say, he can only comfort as much as possible. His work is like this, and his identity is like this. Who else can come forward if he doesn't come forward.

First stabilized the other party's emotions, he explained: "You are an old comrade, of course you can understand how much effort and sweat all employees have paid for the group to reach today."

"Similarly, we also cherish the old workers who have contributed and dedicated to the Red Star Factory, as well as the comrades who have fought on the front line for a long time."

He heard the opposite side still want to speak, raised his voice slightly and emphasized: "If there is a choice, of course I don't want to see employees divided out."

Zhang Jing walked in with documents at this time, and slowed down when he saw him on the phone.

Li Xuewu pointed to the opposite side of the desk and signaled him to sit down first, and he was still talking on the phone.

"I will report the main situation to you first." He didn't wait for the other party to repeat those opinions, but introduced seriously: "The Red Steel Group has signed a cooperation agreement with Shenfei, and most of the shares of the tertiary industry have been transferred to Shenfei."

"At present, the group has obtained the Tadong Airport in Fengcheng, and has also reached a series of technical research and development and cooperation project agreements with Shenfei, including engine OEM production."

Li Xuewu clamped the phone to his ear with his shoulder, screwed on the fountain pen in his hand, and continued to talk: "We cannot transfer the workers of the tertiary industry back to the group. This is unfair to the worker comrades and unreasonable for the group's management."

He gave the other party a chance to speak in attitude, but also emphasized the group's strategic goals.

"Because of some people's personal wishes, saying that they don't want to leave the group, they have to be transferred back to the group. Personal interests are always behind the collective interests."

Zhang Jing knew which call he received, took the initiative to get up to help him renew the hot water, and shook his head helplessly after bringing it back.

The group began to organize personnel work changes the year before last, and there have been opposing voices in the establishment of the group's organizational structure and branches.

Especially retired old cadres and old comrades, they have a sense of ownership for work, but their thinking is stubborn and backward.

Zhang Jing has seen him receive many such calls in the year he worked with Li Xuewu, but he has never seen him have impatient emotions.

Some old comrades have very general quality, and when their temper comes up, they have to say everything, and they don't distinguish time or occasion.

The group organization and personnel will face a big hurdle again, that is, the main body of the tertiary industry will change.

In the past, the group held most of the shares of the tertiary industry and was a real holding party.

Responsible for the operation of the tertiary industry as a holding party, without setting up factories, without setting up branch management layers, unified factory areas, and unified operation by the tertiary industry management office.

In the process of the Red Star Factory's groupization, the organizational structure of the tertiary industry management office did not change, but it was just transitioning to the tertiary industry management company according to the procedure.

Plans cannot keep up with changes. Originally, the group intended to sell these shares slowly and gradually transfer the operation rights to the cooperative joint enterprise.

Unexpectedly, Shenfei wanted to develop the tertiary industry and took a fancy to this cake of the Red Steel Group. Although it was what the group intended to eliminate, it was also an industry.

When the Red Steel Group carried out organizational personnel changes, it adjusted some employees to work in the tertiary industry according to assessment standards.

And during this period, the group's branches were constantly established. Some workers of the original rolling mill who could adapt to new work and new environments were transferred away.

Those workers who could not adapt to new changes could only be divided into other industrial enterprises in the process of technological innovation and personnel reduction.

The largest scale was last year. After the establishment of the new Beijing First Factory, nearly 30,000 people were separated from the Red Steel Group, more than half went to the Beijing First Factory, and others entered Beijing Industry.

The number of employees in the Red Steel Group has dropped to less than 60,000. This transfer of operation rights of the tertiary industry will also change the identity of more than 10,000 employees.

The change of identity means that the welfare treatment of the Red Steel Group will change accordingly. If it is not a group enterprise, employees naturally cannot enjoy the group's welfare treatment.

Although Shenfei also mentioned fully guaranteeing the rights and interests of employees in the agreement, the clever woman cannot cook without rice. Who can guarantee that Shenfei can do the tertiary industry as well as Red Steel.

So the opposition came out. These people do not oppose the group selling the tertiary industry, they only oppose not being able to enjoy the group's welfare treatment.

But the plan to gradually reduce the number of employees by relying on the tertiary industry was set long ago, and the members of the Group Management Committee all know it.

At this time, retired old comrades called to oppose, Li Xuewu can explain, can comfort, but he can't do anything else. After all, this plan was proposed by him.

Technological innovation and management upgrading mean that employees must also progress with the enterprise, otherwise they will be eliminated.

At present, there is no such thing as layoffs in the Red Steel Group, and there is no such thing as layoffs in the whole country, unless it is a policy layoff like in 1960, otherwise there is no play.

Cannot lay off, cannot go bankrupt, Li Xuewu can only think of this method, while fully guaranteeing the work of employees, personnel upgrading and stripping.

Workers who can stay in their posts in the business assessment organized by the personnel department are naturally in line with production needs. Starting this year, the United Vocational and Technical College will also provide excellent graduates.

Graduates do not have a firm stay in their posts after work, they only have the opportunity to compete.

Industrial upgrading, technological upgrading, workers also need to upgrade. Enterprise management has always been cruel. Even if there is no lack of warmth, it is also a responsibility.

Li Xuewu will not let the group's employees be displaced, but he must ensure the advanced nature and competitiveness of the enterprise. After all, the Red Steel Group has to face future challenges.

Although the other end of the phone was not very satisfied with his report, he still accepted his explanation. At least he was willing to listen to the other party's opinions and patiently answered.

After putting down the phone, Zhang Jing breathed a sigh of relief for him.

"Leader, arrange such calls for us in the future." He said with concern: "Your time is precious, and you can't waste it all on this."

"You also want me to be scolded?"

Li Xuewu looked at him with a bitter smile, picked up the teacup and took a sip, saying: "Didn't you just hear that Director Li was scolded for having donkey hair in his ears on the phone."

"If you have to deal with them every day, this work will not be done." Zhang Jing said helplessly: "If you want me to say, you can reflect opinions, you should go through formal channels."

He tilted his neck and said: "The union has regular symposiums, and the office is not that it doesn't receive visits. Why do you have to shout across thousands of miles."

"If the symposium can make sense, they don't have to call me." Li Xuewu shook his head and explained: "How many opinions can be passed up by those who are responsible for reception in the office."

"Alright, don't talk about this."

He put down the teacup and signaled Zhang Jing and asked: "Did Shenfei reply?"

"The big plane thing hasn't happened yet, but the R&D center has a clue." Zhang Jing handed over the document and reported: "It is coordinated by the group, a cooperation project hosted by the Research Institute."

"Neither is in Beijing?" Li Xuewu looked at the document in his hand and couldn't help asking.

"This is discussed by the Research Institute and Shenfei. We don't know much about how to choose the address." Zhang Jing introduced: "The diesel engine R&D center also has the participation of Bincheng Shipbuilding."

"Well, I know this." Li Xuewu said lightly: "In terms of marine engine manufacturing, Bincheng Shipbuilding still has the right to speak."

"The group's meaning is that we try our best to cooperate." Zhang Jing looked at him and explained: "Should I wait for the Research Institute's news, or communicate with the group?"

"Don't wait for the Research Institute, they don't do things very well." Li Xuewu shook his head slightly, put down the document in his hand and emphasized: "You report this matter to General Xia, and see what his opinion is."

"Good, I will do it." Zhang Jing took the document, and when he got up, he reported: "The Tadong Airport receiving project department sent a message saying that they need support. I arranged for Wang Min to lead the team."

"Well, okay, they lack manpower."

Li Xuewu continued to look at other documents, and instructed: "You watch it, although the group has also come a lot of people, after all, they are not familiar with the local environment."

"Understand, Comrade Wang Min's hometown is Fengcheng, he still has an understanding of that area." Zhang Jing introduced why Wang Min was arranged to lead the team, not wanting to leave other impressions on Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu didn't care about this, but when he got up to prepare to leave, he said: "Observe more, if there are good seedlings, you can transfer them to the office."

Zhang Jing looked at him in surprise. Seeing that he was still looking at the document, he didn't dare to ask more, so he walked out of the office.

The Liaodong Industrial Management Group Office has been the few of them since he took over. He has been busy with his feet in the air last year, and has always wanted to increase manpower.

But the leader didn't say it was okay, nor did he say it was not okay, so it has been dragged on until just now. He can be considered to have received accurate news. People are still chosen by themselves.

What surprised him was not that the leader agreed to increase their manpower, but the timing of this point. If he guessed correctly, then next...

The car arrived at Guanshan Road and the sky was completely dark. The Northeast is like this, it is at least half an hour earlier than the pass.

Basically, every house on this street is lit. Even if there were changes in the family before, they have either moved away, or their wives and children are scattered, and their families are broken.

The houses on the street naturally belong to the relevant departments, and then distributed to the corresponding personnel.

This house of Zhou Wang Yamei has been allocated by the Metallurgical Plant, so the property rights are not in the street. It is not that no one has come to investigate, but they were all sent away by Bang Geng.

Looking at the appearance of this kid Bang Geng, ordinary people really can't figure out what his background is. They are not afraid of him, but afraid of the relationship behind him.

A fat boy, speaking maturely and coolly, and dressed very unusually, who would take the initiative to provoke him.

Unless you meet a tigress.

"Wu Shu, you are finally back."

As soon as Li Xuewu entered the courtyard, Bang Geng rarely greeted him, ran over and reminded: "Aunt Yu Li is here."

"She comes, so she comes. What are you panicking about?"

Li Xuewu looked at him with a smile and asked: "What's wrong, did she bully you?"

"No—" Bang Geng said twisting and turning: "I thought she would only live for a few days."

"Not welcoming her to live at home?" Li Xuewu raised his hand and hugged his shoulder. This kid is 15, and his body grows very fast.

After all, the foundation is good. He didn't have a father since he was a child. The family is not rich, but his grandmother and mother didn't lose his mouth.

Just looking at this meat is enough to grow tall.

He avoided the fate of going to the countryside, didn't have to suffer that bitterness, and naturally couldn't delay his growth.

It's just that growing tall is not enough, you have to grow your heart.

He made a lot of progress after being sent to Yingcheng for training last year, which can be considered to have learned to use it. It seems that he has to find something for him to do this year, otherwise he will be wasted.

"Back, the meal will be ready soon."

Yu Li's voice came from the kitchen. Li Xuewu stood at the entrance and smelled the fragrance of the food. There is really no woman in this family.

When Zhou Wang Yamei lived here often before, he had a hot meal when he went home. Living with Bang Geng, he mostly ate "takeout", and rarely ate his "canned fried canned food", and he was already tired of it.

"When did you arrive? Yesterday or today?"

Li Xuewu took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack, handed the bag to Bang Geng, and entered the living room after changing into slippers, and looked at the kitchen.

"When did you arrive? Yesterday or today?"

Li Xuewu took off his overcoat and hung it on the coat rack, handed his briefcase to Banggeng, and after changing into slippers, entered the living room and glanced toward the kitchen.

"The day before yesterday, I came early."

Yu Li looked back at him and said with a smile, "The bathwater is ready; go wash up first, and dinner will be ready right after you're done."

"This feeling is truly long-awaited."

Li Xuewu shook his head with emotion, looked at the shifty-eyed Banggeng, and said, "Go help out; you can't just eat for free."

Banggeng hated this; he had been counting on Wu Shu having a good talk with Aunt Yu Li after entering the house so she would leave early, but what was he saying now!

Abandoning him just for a bite to eat?

Hadn't he cooked?

Wouldn't it be better for two men to live together, each doing their own thing upstairs and downstairs?

Now it was great; with Aunt Yu Li here, he had no chance to bring his girlfriend home to "visit," and it seemed Wu Shu had no chance to bring girls home either.

How did that saying go?

Giving up the whole forest for one tree; Wu Shu was confused!

Yu Li's care was naturally meticulous; there was not only hot water in the bathroom but also prepared pajamas.

"Wu Shu, are you done washing?"

After about half an hour, Banggeng reminded him from outside the door, "Dinner is ready."

"Mm, got it." Li Xuewu replied lazily, and before long, he came out of the bathroom. Wearing clean pajamas and looking at the tidy state of the house, he nodded with satisfaction.

"There were small roosters for sale at the market; I thought they looked okay, so I bought one."

Yu Li served him and Banggeng each a bowl of chicken soup, gestured to the small chicken stewed with mushrooms in the large bowl, and said, "I heard it was collected from the countryside; try it while it's fresh."

"It smells delicious." Li Xuewu first took a sip of the chicken soup, his mouth full of fragrance, and picked up his chopsticks to taste the mushrooms, which were also full of fragrance.

Why put mushrooms in stewed chicken?

The reason is simple: mushrooms can enhance the freshness, especially when there is a lot of soup.

Banggeng had long been unable to hold back; seeing him move his chopsticks, he hurriedly grabbed a chicken leg and started gnawing on it; there was a reason he was fat.

Yu Li just smiled at his wolfing down of the food and placed the other chicken leg into Li Xuewu's bowl.

"If it tastes good, eat more; if I run into them again, I'll buy more for you guys."

Banggeng, who was gnawing on the chicken leg, was slightly stunned when he heard this. He looked at the chicken in his hand and then at Aunt Yu Li, his heart seemingly struggling with some kind of intense conflict.

It had to be said, Yu Li definitely had a knack for cooking chicken; from the first time he tasted her chicken, he had decided in his heart to make friends with her.

"I can't eat this much; I'll share half with you." Li Xuewu tore off half of the chicken leg and placed the rest in Yu Li's bowl.

Yu Li felt sweet inside looking at the chicken in her bowl. She raised her head, gestured toward Banggeng, and said with a smile, "His mother told him to go home for the New Year, saying he hadn't been home in two years."

"I didn't bother him; let him do whatever he wants."

Li Xuewu ate a mouthful of rice and reached out with his chopsticks to pick up a piece of pickle, saying, "I wasn't home for the New Year either; I ate at the office cafeteria."

"I made dumplings myself." Banggeng tilted his chin and said to himself, "There's nothing wrong with spending the New Year alone."

Yu Li looked at him and then at Li Xuewu, shaking her head helplessly.

Remembering Qin Huairu's instructions when she came, what could she do? He was such a big boy, and they weren't related; with Jia Zhangshi's temper, who would dare to provoke their family's affairs?

She had already understood what Li Xuewu was thinking; the recycling station could not be maintained by them forever, and sooner or later, new people would be needed.

Using outsiders was naturally not as good as cultivating one's own; the Thirteen Taibao were an example. Otherwise, once such a dangerous operation had problems, it would definitely not just implicate one or two people.

"Where did you spend the New Year?" Li Xuewu ignored the cocky brat and asked Yu Li, "At the club?"

"No, at the courtyard." Yu Li smiled faintly and said, "Sha Zhu organized a lively New Year's Eve dinner and convinced Uncle Li and Aunt Liu to spend the New Year together too."

"Uncle Yi and Aunt Yi came back to stay for two nights, and the New Year's Eve dinner was all in the inverted room."

She introduced the scene on New Year's Eve, which seemed as if it were right before her eyes, yet it had already been half a month ago.

"You weren't home, and Sha Zhu said something was missing."

"No choice, I couldn't leave this year."

Li Xuewu sighed with emotion and said, "There were many things this year; there was a safety production accident at Steel Auto, and everyone was panicked."

"Mm, I heard about it; is it serious?"

Yu Li asked with concern, "Sha Zhu also mentioned this while keeping watch on New Year's Eve, saying you might be punished."

"It won't reach my level." Li Xuewu put down his chopsticks, took another sip of chicken soup, and explained, "It ended at the factory level; it's just that safety production work was upgraded to a higher level of management before and after the New Year."

"The safety work of the Red Steel Group is already good enough." Yu Li comforted him, "The second son-in-law of Sun Lianhong in the neighborhood was crushed by a machine and didn't survive even after being sent to the hospital for emergency treatment."

"In the past two years, there have been many accidents in several factories in the East City among the employees living in our area, but rarely have I heard of safety accidents occurring at the Red Steel Group."

"We are always on the road of prevention." Li Xuewu nodded slowly and said, "But it's a problem that can never be fully prevented."

Safety production work does not have an absolute value; even if there is no inevitability, there is still contingency. The safety management system of later generations was so abundant, yet it still couldn't prevent the occurrence of accidents.

"After arriving in Steel City, Old Zhao Si also mentioned this, saying you've been very busy lately." Yu Li looked at him with concern and said, "You still need to pay attention to your health."

"Hehe—" Listening to her concern for his health as always, Li Xuewu only felt warm and comforted.

"Have you seen them?" He looked at Yu Li and asked, "Did you go to the Youth Club to take a look?"

"I did, I even saw Biaozi's wife."

Yu Li smiled, holding her rice bowl, and said, "Their little girl is so cute, all chubby."

"Two and a half years old, six months younger than Li Ning."

Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "I haven't seen Hu Niu for a long time either; her mother works at the factory, and she's being taken care of by her grandparents."

"Mm, I saw Mr. Mai." Yu Li nodded and said, "He seems to be in good spirits and is quite happy playing with the child."

"People are like that when they get old." Li Xuewu knew what Yu Li meant by taking the initiative to talk about the child, but he didn't avoid the topic and chatted a bit more.

Only, looking at her burning gaze, it seemed the chicken soup tonight would be drunk in vain.