Chapter 1559: Wings Have Hardened

"Proprietor, Happy New Year."

Ding Ding Wanqiu still looked as old-school as ever, or perhaps one could call him an old-timer; the key was the word "old."

Of course, he wasn't young anymore, but he looked to be in decent health, the kind of person who walked with a spring in his step.

"You too, Happy New Year." Li Li Xuewu shook his hand, looked him up and down, and asked with a smile, "Was the journey smooth?"

"Smooth. Eat when I wake, sleep when I'm full—that's how I made it all the way to the capital." Ding Ding Wanqiu sat on the sofa at Li Li Xuewu's gesture, chuckling, "It was quite good."

He took off his fur coat, revealing a cotton-padded jacket with a Shou-character pattern and a front-opening design; it was clear his mental state was quite good.

The fact that he could still pay attention to his image management showed he was living a fulfilling life.

Regarding this point, Zhao Lao Wu and Zhao Lao Liu, who had taken over his work on the frontier, had reported everything in detail in their letters.

Perhaps noticing the meaningful look in the Proprietor's eyes, Ding Ding Wanqiu smiled quite embarrassedly and said, "Proprietor, you're doing quite well, aren't you?"

"Heh, not bad." Li Li Xuewu picked up his teacup and said with a smile while Yu Li was serving tea to the guest, "I, on the other hand, heard you've been living quite well."

"Hi, I'm at this age now."

Ding Ding Wanqiu thanked Yu Li as he spoke, took the teacup, and replied, "Don't listen to Lao Wu and Lao Liu's nonsense; those two boys really don't know anything."

"Hehehe—" Li Li Xuewu also laughed unkindly. Aside from him, Yu Li also knew exactly what Lao Wu and Lao Liu had reported.

At this moment, Ding Ding Wanqiu couldn't let his guard down in front of Yu Li; after all, men always care about their face.

Yu Li, who was never one to shy away from sensitive topics, sat on the sofa beside Li Li Xuewu and asked with a smile, "Why did you come back alone? Where is your partner?"

"Please, stop joking—"

Ding Ding Wanqiu knew this hurdle would be difficult to pass. The two people in front of him would never let him off easily, but he had no way to avoid it.

"What girlfriend? I just saw she was pitiful and wanted to help her; I didn't expect her to take it seriously."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Li Li Xuewu looked at him with a smile and said, "It's rare to have someone to love and be loved by at your age."

"Forget it, my fate is too hard." Ding Ding Wanqiu held his teacup, blew on the tea leaves, took a sip of the hot tea, and said, "I won't ruin her life."

"I heard she even has a child?"

Yu Li had previously served as the director of the Recycling Station Management Office, so she naturally knew these matters like the back of her hand.

She probed, "They say one needs a companion in old age. What are your thoughts?"

"We don't have any other intentions, really."

As if afraid Ding Ding Wanqiu would be truly embarrassed and unable to speak the truth, Yu Li emphasized, "This is a good thing. We actually hope you have a companion in your old age."

"I thank you both for your kindness."

Ding Ding Wanqiu put his hands together in a gesture of surrender, shook his head, and said, "It's really not appropriate. It's not because she has a child, but because I don't want to hold her back."

"My life is just like this. Thanks to the Proprietor for not minding, I've been running around and drifting to earn a living." He looked at Li Li Xuewu and said, "If one day I can fulfill my wish with the Proprietor's permission, I will die without regrets."

"I respect your choice."

Li Li Xuewu's reply was very calm. He looked at Ding Ding Wanqiu, nodded, and said, "I have also carefully considered the arrangements for you this time."

"I know the Proprietor is looking after me."

Ding Ding Wanqiu nodded in agreement, "You are considerate of my old age and the difficulty of leaving my homeland; the bitter cold of the frontier is truly hard to endure."

"Is that so?" Yu Li looked at him amusedly and asked, "Why do I see that you've put on weight?"

"Ai—" Ding Ding Wanqiu pulled in the fat on his belly and emphasized, "This is just the bloatedness of hardship."

"You even have a talent for literature?"

Yu Li couldn't help but laugh. She stood up and said, "Fine, I'll go prepare dinner to reward your 'bloatedness of hardship'."

"Just prepare some pickled vegetables or small dishes; I really don't want to eat meat anymore." Ding Ding Wanqiu reminded her toward Yu Li's back, then turned to explain to Li Li Xuewu, "In these past few years, I've eaten back all the meat I missed in a lifetime; I never want to eat it again."

He shook his head in annoyance and said, "I can smell the scent of lamb on myself now, as if I'd fallen into a sheep pen."

"That counts as a happy trouble, right?"

Li Li Xuewu picked up the hot tea, took a sip, looked at him, and said, "It's not easy for us in the interior to eat beef or lamb."

"Forget it." Ding Ding Wanqiu wore an expression that said he understood everything, chuckling, "Honestly, I really do miss home."

"When I heard you were going to transfer me back, I couldn't sleep for a whole night."

He waved his hand with a sense of schadenfreude and said, "Of course, those few brats are just as envious as I am; they couldn't sleep all night either."

"Heh—" Li Li Xuewu asked with a light laugh, "Do they want to come back too?"

"They're just talking nonsense." Ding Ding Wanqiu was quite good at adapting to local environments; once he got to the Northeast, he started using Northeast dialect.

"When they heard I was coming back, their hearts were all stirred up, every one of them." He tilted his head and said, "But if you really asked them to come back and stay for a few days, they wouldn't be willing."

"Oh?" Li Li Xuewu turned his head with a look of confusion and asked, "How so?"

"You've been there, don't you know?"

Ding Ding Wanqiu saw that Yu Li had gone to the kitchen, so he whispered, "Except for Xiao Xiao Jianjun who brought his partner, how many of those other boys are any good?"

"With the branch company and office backing them up on the frontier, and having distribution resources in their hands, they spend all their monthly wages—of course they're living it up."

He winked and explained, "The rules on the frontier are looser, especially with so many educated youth arriving in the last two years; they're having a great time."

"They envy me coming back, but if you really asked them to come back and be restricted, a month would be a stretch; they'd be running back in half a month. If that's not nonsense, what is?"

"It seems your lives are indeed very good—" Li Li Xuewu looked at him with some envy and said, "I should have gone to the frontier to take a look more often."

"You really should go." Ding Ding Wanqiu raised his eyebrows and said, "Those old acquaintances still think of you, saying you promised to go back in the summer when you left, but you haven't been back in three years."

"Heh—" Li Li Xuewu recalled the absurd things he experienced when he went to the frontier with Li Huai De, and still found it amusing.

That time, he had made a fortune. The great snow disaster caused cattle and sheep to die, and beef and mutton were pulled to the capital by the trainload; that winter, the air in the capital smelled of mutton.

The workers at the Red Star Factory realized for the first time what "benefits" really meant!

And the refrigerated special train started operating from that time on. In order to guarantee supply, the Red Star Factory later even retrofitted another one, forming a dual-train cycle.

Even though the frontier hadn't experienced a major snow disaster in the last few years, beef and mutton arriving in the capital every autumn had become the primary task of the Red Star Steel Rolling Factory's special train.

It must be said, if it weren't for that trip to the frontier with Old Li, they wouldn't have found a reason to propose the plan to develop tertiary industries to Yang Yang Fengshan at the office meeting at the time.

It was precisely because they had large amounts of wool, leather, and beef and mutton that the Red Star Factory made its first pot of gold and tasted the sweetness of tertiary industry.

After eating beef and mutton and wearing sweaters and leather jackets, it would be harder than ascending to heaven to cancel this industrial development plan.

It was also by relying on the support of the staff that Li Huai De successfully rose to his position.

It can be said that without that trip to the frontier, there would be no Li Huai De of today; therefore, in these past few years, Li Huai De has also been very concerned about the work of the Frontier Office, especially the trade work.

In the second year after the Red Steel Group was established, the Group Sales Corporation was founded, and branches were successively established in many important cities; the Wu City branch was one of them.

With several years of cultivation, the scale of the Wu City branch is truly not small, and with the expansion of its scale and the development of its distribution network, sooner or later, a Frontier branch will be established.

Also by leveraging the influence of the Wu City branch, the distribution network of the Recycling Station in Wu City was thoroughly opened up; not only did they have their own office, but they also had fixed business and advanced transportation tools like automobiles.

Just as Ding Wanqiu said, those few lads are having a great time in the frontier; they miss home, they miss home, but if you asked them to come back, they might not truly be willing.

Ding Wanqiu came to Steel City to see him specifically to report on his duties, reporting to Li Li Xuewu in quite some detail about his work and achievements in the frontier over these past few years.

Li Li Xuewu still trusts him very much and listened very earnestly; after all, he was the first person in charge of the Frontier Office, and the foundation was all laid by him.

And arranging for Yang Erhai to go to the frontier to take over his post was out of the importance and cultivation placed on Yang Erhai, and also out of the importance placed on the Frontier Recycling Station.

The Recycling Station has saved quite a bit of money over these years; besides the fact that the distribution work is truly profitable, there are also these young people working hard and struggling at the front.

Everyone says their wages can't be spent; they are young and sweating like rain, so he must let them spend money like water and properly enjoy the sense of achievement brought by their hard work.

It's just that the frontier is too remote; there are good things, but they aren't as expensive as in the capital. Ding Wanqiu has enjoyed several years of exotic customs and still dresses decently, which shows the consumption level isn't that high.

"You can wash your hands and get ready to eat."

Seeing that their conversation was about finished, Yu Li reminded them of this from the kitchen.

Li Li Xuewu stood up and took Ding Wanqiu to wash their hands in the bathroom before coming to the dining room.

"Now that we're closer, I'll have to run over to your place more often." He certainly knows how to talk, teasing Yu Li by saying: "Not for anything else, just for Director Yu's craftsmanship, I have to come more often."

"That would be great, you should come over to visit often."

Yu Li said with a smile: "We don't have anything else, but we can still afford to host you for a home-cooked meal."

"I said I was going to Ji City; when I passed through Jinmen, I really wanted to stop and go see Xi Lin." Ding Wanqiu sighed with emotion: "In the blink of an eye, it's been several years since I've seen her; we even went to Ji City together back then."

"They've all come back; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future." Yu Li put food in his bowl and urged him to drink, saying: "Even if you went, it wouldn't be convenient; Seeing Gelin isn't at home."

"Still in Port City?" Ding Wanqiu looked at Li Li Xuewu in surprise, and as if afraid he would misunderstand, explained: "I heard it from Xiao Ji Jian Jun."

Xiao Ji Jian Jun hasn't run back and forth little these past two years; visiting relatives is one aspect, and there's also dating Su Yu. The two of them have already met each other's parents, otherwise, they couldn't be living together so shamelessly.

"They'll be back soon." Li Li Xuewu ate his rice and just responded casually, not intending to say more on this topic.

Of course, Ding Wanqiu could also see this point, so he tacitly did not continue to ask.

Li Li Xuewu understood his thoughts; it was nothing more than wanting to inquire about the situation in Port City.

Wen San could go, Li Wenbiao could go, and even Seeing Gelin went; he wanted to go too.

That's right, Ding Wanqiu clearly had the opportunity to settle down; hearing from Zhao Lao Liu that the woman was devoted to him, he didn't expect that he would still be unable to forget the enemies in Port City.

Let's put it this way: he doesn't even miss his relatives in Port City this much.

In Li Li Xuewu's heart, Ding Wanqiu is definitely a ruthless person; he could send his wife and children to Port City for over a decade just to wait for a result.

He just wanted to see if his own properties could still be kept.

It's just that the situation was urgent back then, and knowing they couldn't be kept, he also decisively sold them to Li Li Xuewu, only exchanging them for gold bars worth five thousand yuan.

You have to know, his father put a lot of heart and soul into taking down this residence back in the day; it absolutely could not be compensated by a dozen gold bars.

But he was determined to decide to run when the situation just collapsed, which shows the resilience of his character.

It's just that he met the wrong people; he was cunning his whole life only to be cheated by a group of opera singers, so he risked his life to run back and rely on Li Li Xuewu to earn a living.

Saying it's to earn a living is nothing more than having an identity and being able to get Li Li Xuewu's protection so he wouldn't be liquidated.

He wants to reunite with his relatives in Port City, but he wants to kill those opera singers even more; the betrayal and deception of these people are a disgrace to him.

That's right, he doesn't even feel heartache over those dozen gold bars; he only holds a grudge over this humiliation.

Li Li Xuewu knows very well what he wants to do, and it's not that he has to use up his value before letting him leave, but that there are other concerns.

This kind of person is like a tiger in a cage, growing a bloody mouth wanting to eat people; if he were really let out, it would inevitably cause a huge uproar, and by then, what might be dragged out would not be something he could control.

Don't think that Port City and the mainland are separated by mountains and seas; in fact, the mainland knows about the major events happening in Port City every day, and can even be said to know them like the back of their hand.

If a major case really happens, what is the first thing people pay attention to?

Of course, it's the identities of both parties involved; an old hand like Ding Wanqiu can be checked accurately, and by then, everyone related to the Recycling Station will be investigated.

Especially the club's real estate; Li Li Xuewu also doesn't dare guarantee that no one can find any leverage, so precautions must be taken.

Ding Wanqiu of course also knows this situation, so he is desperately suppressing the impulse in his heart, choosing to endure.

Since Li Li Xuewu promised him, he will not break his word, otherwise the consequences will be even more complicated.

A gentleman's word is his bond.

"If you don't come again, I'm going back."

After dinner, the two chatted a bit more, and Li Li Xuewu took the initiative to see him out.

Yu Li arranged for him to stay at the Youth Club, and Lao Jiu drove over to pick him up; the car was parked at the entrance.

Ding Wanqiu had been stifled all night and couldn't smoke in the room; only after going out did he light one for himself.

"Are you running between the capital and Steel City now?"

He looked at Li Li Xuewu and asked: "The passenger ships aren't running; taking the train is exhausting enough."

"Not entirely by train; sometimes I take a plane." Li Li Xuewu smiled faintly and explained: "A type of benefit for the group's management."

Just explaining this one sentence, he didn't pay attention to Ding Wanqiu's envious gaze, and only stopped after walking to the courtyard gate.

Ding Wanqiu knew he had something to say, so he also stopped his steps.

"Your matter is in my heart; Biao Zi is investigating this matter in Port City." Li Li Xuewu looked into his eyes and said: "I have a few concerns about letting you go to Ji City that I have to tell you."

Seeing him speak so straightforwardly, Ding Wanqiu couldn't help but straighten his back; the proprietor still has his methods of doing things.

"First is the local relationships, especially forestry." Li Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes and emphasized: "Most of the Recycling Station's distribution business is in forestry; this is a good thing, but also a bad thing."

"How so?" Ding Wanqiu looked at him in surprise and asked: "Is Xi Lin..."

"Xi Lin didn't do anything wrong; after all, everything is difficult at the start." Li Li Xuewu said faintly: "But the framework has already been set up, so you can't overly rely on forestry resources."

"You go to Ji City and think about it properly; at least you need to support two more industries, otherwise sooner or later you will be controlled by others."

He reached out and tapped Ding Wanqiu's chest, saying: "It's not visible yet, but the meaning of what I heard a few days ago is a bit abnormal."

"Don't think that just because I have relatives in forestry, you can sit back and relax."

Li Li Xuewu said with a sharp gaze: "Giving you two years to get this done is enough, right?"

It's not that Ding Wanqiu hasn't been to Ji City; he still has some understanding of the local situation, it's just that he isn't very clear about the situation in the last two years, but he still has confidence.

"Secondly is the scope of operations and influence."

Seeing him nod, Li Li Xuewu continued: "Since there is already a foundation in Ji City, then move into other cities and establish branches."

"In the current situation..." Ding Wanqiu asked hesitatingly: "Is it appropriate?"

"Under the complex situation, there are actually fewer people paying attention to what you want to do." Li Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said: "Tomorrow you ask Zhao Lao Si; he still has experience in this regard."

Hearing this, Ding Wanqiu also raised an eyebrow; he is too sensitive to the Zhao brothers, especially after being made neurotic by Zhao Lao Wu.

Just think about it, he even had to write letters to report how many times he did it a night and how much money he spent; he was practically standing naked in front of Li Li Xuewu, with no privacy to speak of.

The key is that this kid doesn't understand anything; you reason with him, and he just hums and haws, but turns around and does whatever he wants anyway. He really can't be beaten or scolded.

There were a few times he wanted to kill the other party and bury him in the sand dunes, but he still couldn't bring himself to do it.

Now hearing Li Li Xuewu introduce Zhao Lao Si and tell him to ask for experience, he expressed deep suspicion.

"The last point, keep a close eye on the mountains."

Li Li Xuewu tapped his chest again, not lightly or heavily, and emphasized: "These people have lived by licking blood from the blade for generations; they've just managed to get enough to eat, but their appetites are still huge."

"Don't worry, I have ways to deal with them."

Ding Wanqiu didn't pay attention to this and agreed very earnestly.

Li Li Xuewu believes he has this ability; he opened the courtyard gate and walked to the side of the road, saying: "Port City still needs manpower, and Ying City also needs ruthless characters; don't make it too ruthless."

"I understand; even if you use them, you have to guard against them."

Seeing Lao Jiu help him open the car door, Ding Wanqiu nodded and smiled, then guaranteed to Li Li Xuewu: "They won't starve to death, but I won't let them eat too full either."

He chuckled and said: "If they're full and have nothing to do, they're prone to doing wrong things."

Seeing his evil smile in the dark night, Lao Jiu couldn't help but shiver; this old guy doesn't look like a good person.

On February 18th, Li Li Xuewu set off to return to the capital, arriving at the capital's West Suburb Airport in less than four hours; flying is much faster than taking the train.

If it weren't for urgent official business, he wouldn't have the qualifications to commute by plane; it was to attend the group's office meeting, as well as meetings for several other departments.

It can be seen that compared to last year, Li Li Xuewu is more earnest and responsible for the group's work; he used to avoid such meetings if he could, but now he attends if necessary.

Appearing more at meetings and expressing opinions is a necessary factor for stabilizing and enhancing influence; how could he relax these tasks after returning to the capital?

Starting this year, the number of times he commutes by plane will definitely increase, and official expenses will also become a major expenditure.

"Secretary-General, goodbye—"

Zhou Xiaoling can get his flight missions every time, and the service work on the plane is also completed by her alone.

Her sweet smile is also only for him.

"Secretary-General, Director Li is waiting for you."

Liu Bin met Li Li Xuewu at the bottom of the ladder and raised his hand to signal to the large Red Flag not far away, introducing: "Let's set off now."

"Thank you for your hard work."

Li Li Xuewu reached out and patted his shoulder, and Zhang En Yuan followed behind with their luggage and got into the car.

Actually, he doesn't want to use Old Li's car; every time he sits in this car, he has a feeling of being watched, but Old Li just wants to boost his prestige.

Do you think Old Li is being kind?

If Old Li were really kind, Li Li Xuewu wouldn't have the heart to deal with him.

When he met Xiang Jingyu Nong in Feng City, he said it; this time Old Li is definitely going to make a big move, and who can stay out of it?

In Li Li Xuewu's view, if you really want to move, it's best to move small, with targeted layouts, and not stir up the whole pool of water.

But Old Li's heart has grown wild; who dares to touch his brow at this time? They can only avoid him.

Take the storm of the past few days; if he hadn't suddenly gone out for research, perhaps the group would have asked him to clearly state his position.

State what position? He is just a Secretary-General, not even at the level of a Deputy General Manager; can he stand up and state his position in this round of the game?

He has always maintained a clear head; don't look at him being one of the 11 people on the Management Committee, he is just a doer, a worker, and basically has no decision-making power.

If he does too much, too excessively, Old Li will be the first one unable to tolerate him; this is the rule of the game.

The current situation is that after the group completed the formalization process, Old Li is going to rectify the work order of the group's Management Committee.

To put it bluntly, how everyone divided his power back then, he is going to take it all back now; how can you be called the Group General Manager without the power of a pen?

It looks like Su Wei De and Gu Wei Yan Jie are both very dangerous, including Xiang Jingyu Nong, who has always cooperated with his work very well; as long as it involves organizational and personnel work, as well as major business work, they will all face Old Li's pressure.

Does Li Li Xuewu have this pressure?

Of course he does; Old Li wants to take back power, so of course it's comprehensive, and being impartial is the hard truth.

Rather than saying Li Li Xuewu and Xiang Jingyu Nong joined forces to dig a big hole, it's better to say it's their helpless action.

Clearly knowing Su Wei De has bad intentions and is staring at Dong Wenxue without letting go, once Dong Wenxue goes down, the next one is him, Li Li Xuewu.

At this time, he has to join forces with Xiang Jingyu Nong to boost Su Wei De to the top, the purpose of which is to weaken Old Li's ambition and at the same time strike at his arrogance.

Stability in the overall situation is true stability; as for Su Wei De's schemes against Dong Wenxue and him, they will be affected when Old Li takes action.

Li Li Xuewu doesn't want to bear the reputation of a scheming villain; everything should be Li Huai De's arrogance and Su Wei De's own doing.

He is just the Secretary-General of the Group Management Committee, a small role, a supporting actor.

Who doesn't want to be the protagonist, but being the protagonist is too dangerous; let's start as a supporting actor first.

When the sky falls, the protagonist is there to hold it up!

So Liu Bin bringing the Red Flag to pick him up, whether it's testing him or flattering him, Li Li Xuewu just emphasized a few times not to do this, and if he does it again, he won't care.

The attitude has already been stated; whatever Li Huai De does is his own business, you can't emphasize it every time.

Perhaps this attitude is what Old Li wants to see.

"The organizational structure of the Hospitality Company has already been built; we're just waiting for the meeting to discuss and implement it."

Liu Bin sat beside him, spread out the notebook in his hand, and made a work report.

Of course he has the qualifications to listen to Liu Bin's report; this is a necessary procedure before the meeting starts, and besides, he is Liu Bin's direct supervisor.

"The Vocational Technical College here has basically completed the renovation work of the 721 College, and the renaming work was completed before the New Year; it's now called the 721 Continuing Education College."

"It's still necessary." Li Li Xuewu sighed and said: "Many of our group's cadres don't have enough basic quality; we must strengthen learning."

"Position doesn't determine ability; we must establish a long-term management mechanism where people can be promoted or demoted, and always maintain the vitality of the group's management work."

He also emphasized his own opinions based on Liu Bin's report; this is to be recorded and reported to other leaders.

The car sped all the way from the airport until it turned across the Liangma River Bridge and slowed down slightly; along the way, pedestrians on bicycles flashed by from the non-motorized lane from time to time, looking very lively.

"Sure enough, it's warmer inside the pass."

Seeing that they had finished talking, Zhang En Yuan smiled and sighed with emotion: "It's still snowing back home, but the trees here have already sprouted buds."

"If you come again in half a month, the plum blossoms will all be in bloom." Liu Bin said with a smile: "Large clusters of them will be crawling all over the branches, crowded together and looking very beautiful."

"The plum blossoms and pear blossoms in the capital are famous." Li Li Xuewu also nodded in approval: "Especially the fruit trees planted along both sides of the river; spring is a battlefield where they compete in beauty."

"The Spring Festival has just passed, and the warmth is already very obvious." Zhang En Yuan said with no small amount of envy: "Steel City will still take two months to be this warm."

"The capital wasn't cold this year, and the green plants in the industrial zone have all survived." Liu Bin introduced with a smile: "Maybe it's because the heating pipes are buried underneath; anyway, the trees in our industrial zone sprouted buds earlier than those outside."

"The original design was still good." Li Li Xuewu looked out the car window and nodded, saying: "This way we can see the flowers blooming in advance."

After crossing the bridge, the car didn't drive too far, because the group's office building was not far away; if it were summer, the garden scenery could cover the podium, but now it's still transparent.

It's not that the local newspapers in the capital haven't criticized the Red Steel Group's "money-scattering" behavior in the construction of the Liangma River Ecological Industrial Zone; the viewpoint is roughly that limited funds should be used for industrial production and construction, not for these colorful things.

Regarding this type of viewpoint, Old Li has never answered it head-on, but privately he has complained quite a bit: None of your business!

"I know you're busy, but I still called you back." After seeing him enter the room, Li Huai De stood up and said: "The group needs you now."

When is it not needed?

Another thing is, does the group need me, or do you, Old Li, need me?

"No matter how busy, you have to distinguish between primary and secondary." Li Li Xuewu shook hands with him and said: "You called me back so urgently; there must be important work to arrange."

"Hmm, come, sit down and talk." Li Huai De reached out and signaled for him to sit opposite the desk, while he sat back down behind the desk.

"Regarding the policies from above recently, I believe you should already understand them, right?"

He glanced at Li Li Xuewu and took two documents from the pile of files on the desk and placed them by his hand; they were the instructions Li Li Xuewu had received.

Of course, he wouldn't oppose the group's work deployment, he just didn't participate in the decision-making and publicity work, and avoided it by doing research.

Li Huai De calling him back now is to test his attitude, and also to make a decision on the stage-by-stage summary and the next implementation plan.

He believes Li Li Xuewu's judgment of the situation even surpasses his trust in himself.

No way around it, Li Li Xuewu has never been wrong.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu nod silently, Li Huai De also breathed a sigh of relief and said: "The current situation is a bit tense; the group needs you to steer the ship and provide protection."

"Duty-bound." Li Li Xuewu looked at him and said: "As long as the group needs me."

"Of course the group needs you." Li Huai De crossed his hands on the desk in front of him, looked at him, and emphasized earnestly: "Calling you back from thousands of miles away is for this purpose."

After finishing, he pushed the two documents over and said: "I have already issued instructions to form a special work task force in accordance with the requirements of the higher-ups; look at what we should do next..."

Li Li Xuewu just glanced at the documents and didn't take them; he had seen the words on these documents and there was no need to look at them again.

Regarding Old Li's problem, even if he knew how to say it, he wouldn't say it.

Old Li has learned to be bad; he actually wants him to carry this pot.

What does Li Huai De mean?

He already had a decision when he called Li Li Xuewu back, it's just that he wasn't sure what other consequences doing so would have.

But putting the opinion in front of Li Li Xuewu and forcing him to state his position is even more about observing his attitude; as long as Li Li Xuewu says that sentence, he dares to take action.

It's just that Li Li Xuewu was silent, a damn silence.

"What?" He looked at Li Li Xuewu's expression and asked: "Do you have any opinions?"

"No." Li Li Xuewu raised his head, looked into his eyes, and said: "I firmly obey the organization's decisions and arrangements."

"Oh, that's good, that's good."

Li Huai De couldn't hide his disappointment in his eyes; he said it was good, but it didn't mean he felt good in his heart.

Li Li Xuewu didn't stay in his office for long; he communicated simply about the progress of the merger of Ta Dong Airport, talked about the Hospitality Company and the Continuing Education College, and then went out.

After all, Old Li calling him back was for these few reasons; he couldn't just not pretend.

His silence made Old Li panic, and his non-cooperation also made Old Li feel a bit ashamed and angry.

The wings are finally hard, and he can't be held down anymore.

Li Li Xuewu knew he was unhappy, but he couldn't expect him to be happy forever; this pot cannot be carried, it would be infinitely harmful.

Up to now, he dares to guarantee that he won't fall into a speck of dust in the future "dungeon settlement"; having operated so painstakingly for so long, how could he fall into Old Li's trap?

Old Li wants to court death, but he doesn't want to.

Now Old Li is unhappy, at most he won't support him and will leave him out in the cold for a while; his foundation is in Liaodong now, so Old Li can't do anything to him.

So he walked very resolutely, and also very helplessly.

When passing by Xiang Jingyu Nong's office, he found the door closed, because at this time Deputy Director Jing was still in Feng City, perhaps already starting to rush to Steel City.

"Secretary-General, are you going to report in today?"

Zhang En Yuan was waiting in the office, and seeing his bad complexion, took the initiative to ask.

Li Li Xuewu waved his hand and said: "It's too late today, I'm not going; I'll go tomorrow."

After finishing, he checked the time on his hand, raised his head, and gave Zhang En Yuan instructions: "You go to the office to communicate and get the agenda for tomorrow's meeting; I won't be here this afternoon."

"Secretary-General, I'll see you off..."

Before Zhang En Yuan could finish his sentence, Li Li Xuewu waved his hand and said softly to him: "I'm going home first; I didn't come back for the New Year, so I have to find time to reunite."

Zhang En Yuan of course understood what he meant; it wasn't entirely for the reunion, there was also an element of giving up.

Li Li Xuewu didn't care what others thought; he only met Deputy Secretary-General Ji Ji Ji Jiuzheng in the elevator, chatted simply for a few sentences, and went out as soon as the elevator reached the first floor.

Ji Ji Ji Jiuzheng was also going out, but he watched Li Li Xuewu's figure get into the car before he left the hall.

This time Li Li Xuewu's return was very sudden, catching others off guard, including the few of them, the Deputy Secretaries-General.

If it were before the group's formalization, everyone would have something to look forward to, or a concern, but now it's like a wild dog off the leash, running around unscrupulously.

Ji Ji Ji Jiuzheng's heart was also not calm; behind every wave, there are always people stirring up trouble, and by stirring up waves, one can gain a false reputation and move a step further.

Cadres like him inevitably lose themselves in the tide; looking at others rising steadily, and then thinking about himself, perhaps it's normal to be tempted.

It's just that the tide comes and goes; who can accurately see the timing and grasp every opportunity?

Li Li Xuewu?

Not necessarily; what does this time count as?

Don't look at the fact that there were only the two of them in the General Manager's office, but after he came out, the related guesses turned into rumors and spread.

Li Li Xuewu's complexion was ugly, and Li Huai De's complexion was also bad; this couldn't be a pleasant conversation, could it?

Linking it to the purpose of Li Huai De calling Li Li Xuewu back, the result is not hard to guess.

There are always people in the group curious about these things, maybe they are truly curious, or maybe they have ulterior motives; they can analyze 180 possibilities from every move of the top management.

There's always one that's correct, right?

"Li Ge, you're back!"

Er Ya was a bit surprised; she hadn't received a call that he was coming back, and hearing the doorbell, she thought it was someone else; she didn't expect it to be him.

"Hmm, the group had something to do, so I came back early."

Li Li Xuewu walked into the courtyard with his bag and asked casually: "Are the children all at home?"

"No, they went to their grandmother's house."

Er Ya closed the gate and followed his steps to introduce: "Third Brother drove over to pick them up; they've been playing over there for the past few days."

"Haven't they come back at all?" Li Li Xuewu looked back at her and said with a smile: "It finally let you relax a bit."

"Hehe, actually it's okay—"

Er Ya said with a smile: "Li Shu and Li Ning are both sensible now."

"Do you really think so?" Li Li Xuewu looked at her suspiciously, shook his head with a smile, walked into the foyer and changed into slippers, saying: "Have you written home?"

"Hmm, I write every month; my mom always says not to let me write." Er Ya said with a smile: "I didn't listen to her; actually, she misses me too."

Writing a letter is a very expensive thing, because the fountain pen and letter paper, as well as the envelope and stamps, all cost money, unless you have the energy and conditions.

Li Li Xuewu believes that in the village where Er Ya's family is, apart from the village cadres, no one else has these items.

Even if the village cadres are willing to help her mother write and read letters, they can't avoid the consumption of letter paper, envelopes, and stamps; these all cost money.

Of course, in this era, there are people who paste their own envelopes, and there are also old stamps that are reused; he doesn't think anyone in Er Ya's family has this ability.

So Er Ya writing home is mostly her one-sided report of safety, or mailing money and tickets home; she rarely receives letters from home.

"It's the New Year; do you want me to give you a holiday to go home and take a look?" Li Li Xuewu suddenly remembered before going upstairs and looked back at her to ask: "You must miss home, right?"

"That... Li Ge, I don't miss home."

Hearing him say this, Er Ya's face suddenly turned pale, and she looked at him nervously and said: "I don't miss home at all."

"What's wrong with you?" Li Li Xuewu looked at her strangely, then immediately understood, and pointed at her amusedly, saying: "I'm letting you go home to take a look, I didn't say I wouldn't use you anymore."

He stood on the stairs and looked at Er Ya and said: "You don't need to worry that your Sister Qin will steal your position; I said I would use you, so I will never send you away."

"Of course, if one day you find a partner, get married, and want to establish your own little family, I and your Sister Xiao Ning will bless you."

"Li Ge..." I don't know which sentence touched Er Ya's heartstrings, but she started wiping away tears again.

Li Li Xuewu walked up the stairs helplessly and said: "You think about it properly; if you really miss home, go back and take a look, stay for a few days and then come back, and let Jing Ru cover for you for a few days."

Not getting an answer from Er Ya, he went upstairs to the second floor amusedly, took a bath first, slept for a little while, and then changed clothes and went downstairs.

"Li Ge..." Hearing the sound coming from the stairs, Er Ya walked out of the kitchen and looked at him and said: "I... I'm not going back; it's too much trouble."

"Besides, even if I go back, I don't have anything important to do." She lowered her head and twisted the corner of her clothes and said: "Wait... wait until then to talk about it."

"Fine, whatever you want." Li Li Xuewu didn't force her; he understood too well how far the distance was from the capital to the small mountain village in the mountains of Ji City.

It's not that the distance is far, but the cost of going home is an unnecessary expense for her and her family.

The wages Li Li Xuewu gave her were not low, just like Qin Jingru's back then, and there was also pocket money.

But these were all sent back to her hometown; she was never seen spending money recklessly at home, and even her clothes were given to her by Gu Ning, or sewn by herself with cheap fabric.

For a young woman to be frugal to this extent can be considered rare.

Li Li Xuewu is also thinking that when she gets a bit older, he will help her find a good partner; he can't let her down for her hard work and care for the children over these past few years.

It's just, who should this child be introduced to?