Chapter 1570: Jin Ling

"Secretary-General, confidential documents just sent by the group."

Zhang Enyuan walked into the office with a young man, sent the other party to the desk, and then stepped aside.

"Hello, Secretary-General, I am Wang Tao."

The young man first greeted and introduced himself, then opened the briefcase he was carrying and took out the sealed document.

"According to Director Li's request, it must be delivered before the 8th."

He placed the document in front of Li Li Xuewu, pointed his finger at the delivery time and the seal on the envelope, and then stood straight.

"Good, thank you for your hard work."

Li Li Xuewu nodded, picked up his fountain pen, unscrewed it, and wrote his name and the time on the confirmation slip the other party handed over.

The transmission of confidential documents is like this; regardless of whether the content inside is urgent or not, the procedure must be followed.

Sign first, then read; whoever reads it, signs it.

Li Li Xuewu was the last name on the signature sheet, meaning the members of the group's management committee had all read it.

"Please sit here; I'll pour you some water."

Zhang Enyuan saw the process was complete, gestured to the sofa area, and said politely with a smile, "It's hard enough to sit on the train all night."

"Thank you, Secretary Zhang, it's not hard."

The confidential secretary also nodded politely and sat on the sofa after seeing the Secretary-General reading the document.

This happened a few times every month; sometimes there were many important documents, and their Confidential Section even had to run more than ten times.

There was no way around it; even in the internet age, handling this kind of confidential document relied on this kind of human transport, let alone in this era.

In the internet age, can't confidential documents be encrypted?

Some say layer-by-layer encryption is fine, using the best researchers, the kind that can't be opened without specific instructions.

It doesn't work, because any internet technology has the possibility of being cracked; on the contrary, the most primitive technology is relatively reliable.

Zhang Enyuan poured hot water for Wang Tao, then went to change Li Li Xuewu's tea, but inadvertently caught a glimpse of the header of the document in the leader's hand, and was startled.

"Notice on the Decentralization of Management of Enterprises Directly Under the Industrial and Transportation Departments of the State Council (Draft)"

What does this mean?

Li Li Xuewu's expression was very calm; he looked at the document weighing a thousand jin in his hand without even frowning.

It wasn't that his adaptability was strong, but that Old Li had already revealed this news to him.

Old Li knew about it when they were collecting opinions above, and after several guesses, they had a result that was eight or nine out of ten.

The official issuance date of the document was the 5th, which was three days ago; Li Li Xuewu didn't receive the document too late.

According to the requirements of the document, the vast majority of enterprises and institutions directly under the industrial and transportation departments of the State Council were to be decentralized to local management; a small number would be under dual leadership of the department and the locality, with the locality as the main one; a very small number of large or backbone enterprises would be under dual leadership of the department and the locality, with the department as the main one.

The notice also required that the decentralization work must be completed within this year.

This was the change Old Li spoke of.

It wasn't sudden, but it was a bit unexpected.

When Li Li Xuewu returned to Beijing, he discussed the significance of doing this above with Old Li, and after adding it all up, the disadvantages still outweighed the advantages.

Of course, the policy requirements at this time were different; they were the heads of the Red Steel Group and were more inclined toward economic development.

The Red Steel Group had the opportunity to advance, which was also riding the short-lived east wind of the past two years; now there was no such opportunity.

Thinking about it carefully, this wind didn't blow suddenly. If one used the "hindsight" argument, the Steel City Steel Company had already been decentralized to Liaodong last year, which could be considered a sign.

Behind the document was a list, categorized and listed according to the three levels of transfer, division, and retention.

More than 2,600 enterprises, institutions, and construction units directly under the department, including the Great Qing Oilfield, the No. 17 Automobile Manufacturing Plant, and the Jicheng Chemical Industry Company, were all decentralized to the management of their respective provinces, cities, and autonomous regions, and some were even decentralized layer by layer to prefectures, cities, and counties.

Li Li Xuewu ran his finger down the list, and unsurprisingly, the Red Steel Group was also on the transfer list.

However, it was unknown whether it was the result of Old Li's efforts or because the Red Steel Group had performed excellently during the recent East Germany trip, but the situation wasn't as Old Li said—completely transferred to Beijing.

The Red Steel Group was on the list of "a small number under dual leadership of the department and the locality, with the locality as the main one."

He was very surprised by this result, because many enterprises with more strength than the Red Steel Group were completely decentralized to the provinces and cities. Did the market-oriented experimental enterprise status add points?

Regardless, this result was enough to let Old Li breathe a sigh of relief, but Li Li Xuewu thought more about it.

Just like what the two discussed initially, would decentralizing such a large number of backbone enterprises too much and too fiercely disrupt the original collaboration, and would production order and economic development be affected?

Not to mention other enterprises, just talking about the Red Steel Group, it had gone in a circle and returned to its original position.

Previously, the Red Star Rolling Mill was under the jurisdiction of Beijing Industry; it was formed after the merger of the Beijing No. 1 and No. 3 Rolling Mills, and later merged with some smaller steel mills one after another.

To have the scale of the Red Star Steel Mill, it could be said that Beijing Industry made a great contribution.

When the Red Star Mill aspired to form a group company and vigorously develop tertiary industry, Beijing Industry was quite annoyed.

Without it, from that time on, the Red Star Rolling Mill also had the department to support it, and Beijing Industry had constraints.

In the process of the Red Star Rolling Mill becoming a group, the management level gradually broke away from the jurisdiction of Beijing Industry and listened more to the arrangements of the First Ministry of Machine Building.

After becoming a group this year, it was even more directly issued documents by the department, clarifying the management relationship.

But this relationship had been maintained for less than two months before there was a new change, and the Red Steel Group had another mother-in-law.

And this mother-in-law was the original mother-in-law. You say this matter is chaotic.

In the eyes of Beijing Industry, the Red Steel Group might be that ungrateful white-eyed wolf. Old Li didn't get scolded less back then because he loved to show off everywhere.

Now that it had fallen back into the hands of the mother-in-law, you say the Red Steel Group is miserable.

Fortunately, there was no falling out with Beijing Industry initially. During the merger of the sixteen enterprises in the Liangmahe Industrial Zone, and the merger of the Beijing No. 7 and No. 20 Motorcycle Manufacturing Plants, they cooperated tacitly.

In the year before last and last year, they joined hands to build and establish the new Beijing No. 1 Rolling Mill, and many cadres were trained by the Red Steel Group.

After all, there was still incense and affection; both sides were connected by broken bones and tendons, with you in me and me in you.

The Red Steel Group's headquarters was located in the Liangmahe Industrial Zone in Beijing, and it was increasing investment to build an ecological industrial zone.

Li Li Xuewu had already said when talking to Shenfei about the tertiary industry replacement that the ecological industrial zone wasn't entirely for the Red Steel Group's own service; the land could be used to build factories at any time.

Of course, according to the original planning and design, the ecological industrial zone couldn't have polluting enterprises, and light industry was prioritized.

This kind of planning was completely in line with Beijing Industry's needs and requirements for future urban construction.

Don't look at the fact that there were many heavy industries and heavy pollution enterprises around Beijing, but there were few new factories.

Even if the Red Star Steel Group hadn't first proposed the concept of an ecological industry, the above would slowly pay attention to ecological environment protection and governance projects.

Li Li Xuewu knew that the requirements for ecological protection were proposed very early, which was in these few years; it was proposed by Mr. Z.

After returning from East Germany, Old Li was busy laying out this matter. On one hand, it was to strive for better conditions to see if they could stay in the department; on the other hand, it was to contact the relationships of Beijing Industry.

Don't look at the subtle relationship between the Red Steel Group and Beijing Industry; in fact, Old Li's social ability was still okay.

Playing both sides, he hadn't invited people to dinner for nothing all these years, plus his current status, he still had some face.

Sending off the confidential secretary, Zhang Enyuan returned to the office, his gaze toward Li Li Xuewu a bit hesitant.

"Zhu Zhu Xiaolin, the director of Beijing Chemical, is about to retire to the second line. Help me keep it in mind; I'll invite him to dinner when I go back to Beijing this month."

Li Li Xuewu unscrewed his fountain pen and wrote things on the draft paper; these were some arrangements and thoughts recently.

Zhang Enyuan walked to one side of the desk and asked softly, "Do you need to prepare in advance?"

"Hmm—" Li Li Xuewu pondered for a moment, looked up at him, and instructed, "Help me call Deputy Factory Director Gu of Beijing No. 2 Auto to ask which day this month he has time to meet."

"Good, do I need to mention which aspect?"

Zhang Enyuan did things very carefully; he had already started taking notes when he asked Li Li Xuewu the first sentence.

"If he asks, just say it's about the supply chain." Li Li Xuewu said casually, "If he doesn't ask, then don't say it."

"Okay, leader." Zhang Enyuan took notes, repeated his requirements, and then went out the door.

After a while, the door was knocked, and Wang Wang Yajuan walked in.

"Nothing today?" Seeing it was her, Li Li Xuewu glanced at her and continued writing.

"Do I come to the unit to play every day?"

Wang Wang Yajuan was dissatisfied with his tone, rolled her eyes, and said, "You're the only one busy in the whole group! Is that okay?"

"Did you eat gunpowder?" Li Li Xuewu glanced at her and said, "Anything up?"

"Something is up." Wang Wang Yajuan handed over a document and gestured, "Look at this."

"What is it?" Li Li Xuewu didn't take it, but tilted his head to look, and then laughed out loud.

"Where did this document come from?" He looked up at Wang Wang Yajuan and asked, "Issued by the group?"

"Issued by the publishing house; didn't you receive it?"

Wang Wang Yajuan looked at him suspiciously, opened the document, pointed to it, and gestured, "Haven't you heard about the TV station?"

"TV station, at this time?"

Li Li Xuewu didn't need to look at the content inside; as long as he saw the name of the document, he knew, otherwise why would he laugh?

"What are you laughing at?" Wang Wang Yajuan looked at him, walked to the side of his desk, pointed to the document, and said, "You don't even look at it before you pre-emptively feel this project won't work?"

"First of all, I haven't seen this project."

Li Li Xuewu reached out and pointed to the document, raised an eyebrow, and said, "In other words, this project didn't go through me when it was established."

"Secondly, I don't have work experience in propaganda, and I don't understand television and broadcasting work; you know more about this than I do."

He leaned back in his chair, spread his hands, and said, "Finally, I have nothing to do with this project, right?"

"Then what are you laughing at?" Wang Wang Yajuan cared very much about his attitude, because she knew Li Li Xuewu's judgment was very accurate.

"I'm laughing because broadcasting work hasn't even been done well yet, and now they're starting a TV project?"

He pointed to the document and asked, "Does our group want to do a TV project? Has anyone investigated the television coverage rate of the group's staff families?"

"You always like to talk in circles."

Wang Wang Yajuan glanced at him and said, "You could just say you don't think highly of this project."

"Then tell me who is presiding over this project." Li Li Xuewu sat up straight, flipped through the documents on the desk, and said, "Enterprise Propaganda Department?"

"It's a project application proposed by the Literary and Art Publishing House, managed and supervised by the Enterprise Propaganda Department."

Wang Wang Yajuan introduced, "I heard this project is supported by Deputy Director Gu; it's a policy given from above."

"Hmm, I see it."

Li Li Xuewu pointed to the beginning of the document. This kind of project often had guidance opinions or policy needs from above.

"It was in January and February of this year that the National Television Professional Conference was held jointly by the Central Broadcasting and the Fourth Ministry of Machine Building." Wang Wang Yajuan explained, "The conference decided to concentrate domestic technical forces to develop color television, while also developing black and white television."

She was talking about the policy statement in the document. Li Li Xuewu pointed to the content behind it and said, "This is about developing the electronics industry; why are they dragging in a TV station?"

"If you have a TV but don't develop a TV station, are you going to watch snowflakes?" Wang Wang Yajuan said with amusement and anger, "The above has already approved the construction of TV stations in several provinces and regions in the border areas."

She introduced, "I heard that the above also encourages key industrial enterprises to build their own television systems, just like the Beijing Hotel."

"Hmm, I know all about it."

Li Li Xuewu naturally knew about the Beijing Hotel's television system; that was built in '64, but the Beijing Hotel was special.

"It looks like the TV battle this year is going to unfold across the country?" He finished reading the document in his hand, then turned to look at Wang Wang Yajuan and asked, "This is the group's project; what are you so excited about?"

"Why can't I be excited?"

Wang Wang Yajuan stiffened her neck and said, "Our profession should be all-encompassing, not just sound."

"Finish the broadcasting work first."

Li Li Xuewu closed the document and said, "In January last year, the Ministry of Finance and the Central Broadcasting issued a notice; you should have studied it."

"It was the 'Notice on the Expenditure Issues of Rural Broadcasting Network Funds'; I remember seeing it in the newspaper."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "The 'Notice' stipulates that the daily business expenses of county and city broadcasting stations are included in the national budget, and the daily business expenses of commune broadcasting stations are included in the local budget. This decision has a profound impact on wired broadcasting."

"And in the second half of last year, when formulating the national economic plan, the above investigated broadcasting work."

Li Li Xuewu put down his teacup and introduced, "In the economic plan issued at the beginning of this year, running newspapers and broadcasting well was listed as the first item. Do you know what this implies?"

"At present, broadcasting and newspapers are the focus of propaganda work; television is a development prospect and can be advocated."

"But it didn't say it wasn't allowed—"

Wang Wang Yajuan frowned and said, "I read this notice last year; it said television construction should also be valued."

"Look, the policy document cited in the project proposal is also marked. The number of TV stations this year is to increase from 25 to 70, and even the qualifications have been approved."

"Hmm, I see it."

Li Li Xuewu reached out and pressed the document she opened, looked at her, and said, "The above said that the television signal of the Beijing TV station in the center should basically cover the provincial capitals, autonomous region capitals, and large cities across the country."

"That's it." Wang Wang Yajuan argued, "Our group is in Beijing; what a rare east wind this is."

"Hmm, that's right, very rare."

Li Li Xuewu looked at her anxious appearance with amusement and asked, "But why would the Beijing station bring you along to play?"

This question stumped Wang Wang Yajuan; she didn't know how to refute him.

Li Li Xuewu knew her meaning and her thoughts; it was nothing more than seeing the more direct communication attributes of television.

Who doesn't like watching TV? Even the family of the little monster he left in the Sihe Academy loved it so much they couldn't bear to watch it often.

However, there were relatively few TV stations at this time, and the time for broadcasting programs was also very short; you had to time it to wait and watch.

The one watched most at home was the Beijing station, but the Beijing station at this time wasn't the Beijing station of later generations; it was the predecessor of China Central Television.

Li Li Xuewu was able to get a little monster because he took advantage of the situation and coincidence. How many families in the Four Nine Cities could afford a TV?

That's right, the Red Steel Group gave back to the staff to a great extent during its development and gave support in welfare benefits.

Some staff members even took out their savings to buy a Jiayue TV from the group's supply department, treating it like a treasure.

At this time, the production capacity of the Beijing Television Factory was already quite good, but it still couldn't satisfy the national demand for television sets.

And the televisions produced at this time were all black and white. Even the color television production line of the Steel City Electronics Factory of the Red Steel Group hadn't been assembled yet.

Once the color television production line was really assembled, the products wouldn't be something most ordinary people in the country could accept.

Price was a chasm.

Of course, the development of TV stations in the next few years would also be very fast; he knew this without Wang Wang Yajuan saying it.

There were only 25 TV stations in the country now; by '76, there would be more than 30, and there would be more than 100 relay stations, not counting small TV relay stations.

Li Li Xuewu attached great importance to the development of Steel City Electronics, especially the television production and research business.

He knew that two years later, the country would approve the import of color televisions, which would be another blow to the domestic television industry. It would be safer to lay out the plan in advance.

Why did he still remind Wang Wang Yajuan that she should pay more attention to broadcasting work?

The reason was simple: the penetration rate of television needed to be improved, while broadcasting developed faster and had a long time before being eliminated.

Once broadcasting work was done well, carrying out television work later would also be useful; it was just a matter of having a picture or not.

In recent years, the whole country had been laying out broadcasting networks. Newspapers said that the goal of achieving a national network within three years would be realized.

This goal was a bit too big, but Li Li Xuewu estimated that it wouldn't be difficult to achieve in 90% of the regions.

As long as it was someone who had lived through that era, who didn't remember the broadcasting loudspeakers in the village brigades and teams?

"Don't worry about this project for now."

Li Li Xuewu pointed to the document and said, "Wait and see. If it really succeeds, it won't be too late for you to apply to transfer over."

He glanced at the somewhat depressed Wang Wang Yajuan and said, "With ability and strength, are you afraid there won't be a place if you go late?"

"That's not what I meant—"

Wang Wang Yajuan thought for a moment and said, "I just feel that television is definitely easier to express than broadcasting."

"And our group has its own television factory, and the propaganda coverage is also the staff; it should be easier to do."

"Hmm, that's not wrong."

Li Li Xuewu nodded in recognition and said, "But it won't be done in three to five years, especially for industrial enterprises."

"Don't take it for granted just because you heard above supporting industrial enterprises to do this."

He tapped the document with the pencil in his hand and emphasized, "Our control over broadcasting and television undertakings is very strict, and the entry review and inspection are also the strictest."

"Don't look at the fact that the locality can get the TV station approval right; this is different from industrial enterprises." 【161】 "Then forget it; a happy event for nothing."

"Forget it then, what a waste of excitement."

Wang Wang Yajuan picked up the document and looked at him, saying somewhat depressed, "Originally, I wanted to think about how to combine literary performances with television programs."

"Hmm, hmm." Li Li Xuewu encouraged with a smile, "The idea is good, but you can't take too big a step."

"You're talking about me; this project isn't even mine." Wang Wang Yajuan looked at him and asked, "Do you think Deputy Director Gu can apply for it?"

"What? The TV station qualification?"

Li Li Xuewu was just about to continue writing, but hearing her say this, he looked up, pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Wait and see. Wouldn't it be better if the application is approved?"

"Since you said so, it definitely won't be approved—" Wang Wang Yajuan let out a sigh, like a deflated ball, and turned to walk out.

Since there was no hope for this project, she also lost interest in continuing to talk nonsense.

She would rather believe Li Li Xuewu, who was an outsider, than believe that Deputy Director Gu, who was in charge of propaganda work, could succeed.

Li Li Xuewu also found it amusing.

"Haven't gone home yet?" When Yu Li walked into the room with a foot-washing basin, seeing him reading a book leaning against the head of the bed, she asked casually.

"Next Wednesday, going to Jin Ling."

Li Li Xuewu saw her moving his feet, so he stood up and let her gesture, putting his feet into the hot water.

He only started soaking his feet after she came to Steel City; even at home, he rarely soaked his feet.

The only one who could pay such meticulous attention to his body was Yu Li.

She went to work in the city every day, and sometimes went to the pier side; no matter how hard it was, she never forgot this.

Sometimes Li Li Xuewu didn't want to soak, but she would coax him.

Hmm, just like coaxing a child, which made Li Li Xuewu cry and laugh, and he could only follow her.

Yu Li just had this patience; she didn't need to ask what he liked to eat—she remembered it from how much he ate.

In just one month, he had already drunk chicken soup twice, and even Banggeng got a share of the benefits.

Li Li Xuewu could clearly feel that the kid had gained weight; this was only one month, and the big-faced cat had failed his diet.

He was the same; when he looked in the mirror in the morning, he could clearly feel the meat on his cheeks.

Actually, serving people was more tiring than going to work. Li Li Xuewu hadn't served anyone himself, but he felt tired for her just by feeling Yu Li's care.

"Next time I take a bath, I'll stand in the water basin, so you won't have to bother again."

"Can that be the same?"

Yu Li rolled her eyes at him, reached into the basin to help him rub his feet, kneading and pressing.

"Soaking feet must be done separately in a basin, and I put Chinese medicine in here; how can it be the same as taking a bath?"

"You know more about health than I do."

Li Li Xuewu smiled, sat up straight, looked at her, and said, "If I'd known, I should have let you come last year, so I could have enjoyed the blessing earlier."

"As if I'm afraid of you being tired."

Yu Li looked at him with a smile, her eyes filled with affection, and said, "A big man can't even take care of himself."

"It's not that I can't take care of myself; it's just pure laziness."

Li Li Xuewu smiled, sat up straight, leaned back, and complained in a relaxed posture, "It's all Banggeng's fault; I used to be very diligent."

Slap—

Yu Li patted his lower leg with amusement and scolded, "Do you think I'm meeting you for the first time?"

"If you're lazy, you're lazy; don't blame the child."

"He's not a child anymore." Li Li Xuewu chuckled, "He has a partner; what kind of child is that? I even advised Qin Qin Huairu last time to prepare early, don't wait until the grandson is home to know how to make a quilt."

"You even scared her; she's almost obsessed." Yu Li said helplessly, "When I came, she specifically came to find me to talk and asked me to take care of Banggeng."

"This child, the older he gets, the less he lets people worry."

"Boys are all like this; it's their nature."

Li Li Xuewu didn't feel this posture was comfortable enough, so he simply lay down on the bed, letting her wash his feet.

"Yu Zhe is the same; you still talk about others."

"Yu Zhe is also spoiled by you—"

Yu Li, as an older sister, was also ruthless; she pinched his lower leg with dissatisfaction and scolded, "Do you really think he's a child?"

Li Li Xuewu didn't have much interaction with Yu Zhe when he didn't come to Steel City; at most, he saw him once at the factory or the club.

In the factory, Yu Zhe didn't dare to greet him, and in the club, he hid even further away.

It wasn't until he arranged for Yu Zhe to drive for him that they met often.

When the two came to Steel City, Yu Li didn't know what state her brother was in when he was with him in Beijing; she only knew he lived in the dormitory and his work was extremely easy.

It wasn't until she also came to Steel City that she knew how Li Li Xuewu took care of Yu Zhe.

Not to mention the alcohol, because he was a driver, Yu Zhe didn't drink, but he often smoked Li Li Xuewu's cigarettes.

Li Li Xuewu didn't smoke, but there were cigarettes in his office and car, and there were also some in the trunk.

Like local specialties, gifts from business dealings—most of them were divided between Zhang Enyuan and Yu Zhe.

It was almost like giving pocket money.

But with such care, what was the difference from giving pocket money?

In Yu Li's view, Li Li Xuewu had to bear half the responsibility for Yu Zhe messing around with those women.

Who told Yu Zhe to be so generous?

The leader's driver, dressed brightly, generous with money, young and strong, with a flowery mouth—which woman wouldn't like such a young man?

"Don't give him anything from now on!" Yu Li saw he didn't agree and emphasized with a scold, "Did you hear me?"

"Sigh, he serves me; how can I not take care of him?" Li Li Xuewu sat up, looked at her helplessly, and said, "Can I give to the secretary and not to him?"

"Don't give to him; he doesn't need anything."

Yu Li, as an older sister, was ruthless and said bluntly, "He gives away everything you give him."

"As long as he gives it to the right place, it's fine. Don't talk nonsense."

She glanced at Li Li Xuewu and asked, "You know he's seeing those women, right?"

"Which women?" Li Li Xuewu had to play dumb at this time; otherwise, Yu Li would take her anger out on him.

"Hmph—" Yu Li laid out the towel, gestured for him to lift his foot, placed it on her lap, and snorted, "Men are all bastards."

"Hey, I'm the one

"Hey, I took that scolding for nothing—"

Li Li Xuewu flicked her forehead amusedly and said, "How did I provoke you?"

"You're his superior, why don't you keep him in check?"

Yu Li said with dissatisfaction, "His reputation is ruined; what will his partner think when she comes?"

"It doesn't matter. Once he gets married, I'll transfer him back to the capital," Li Li Xuewu said nonchalantly, "By then, no one will remember his reputation."

"Do you think his reputation in the capital is any better?"

Yu Li squeezed his foot hard in frustration and said, "Did you do this on purpose?"

"Hiss—" Li Li Xuewu winced as she squeezed him and said, "What did I do on purpose?"

"You know who he likes, don't you?"

Yu Li curled her lip and hummed, "Do you still think I'm wronging you?"

"How am I wronging you?" Li Li Xuewu glanced at her and said, "What does it have to do with me who he likes?"

"When you let him go home for a blind date, Zhou Wang Yamei came to the club to find me. He couldn't take his eyes off her when he saw her, you know that, right?"

Yu Li understood her younger brother's little thoughts perfectly well. By pointing it out to Li Li Xuewu's face, she wanted to see his reaction.

If it were really because her brother had provoked him that he had been disciplined, she would be heartbroken too.

She knew how much of a villain Li Li Xuewu was; he wouldn't go so far as to beat Yu Zhe, but he wouldn't let him off easily either.

"Zhou Wang Yamei did it on purpose." Li Li Xuewu's answer took Yu Li by surprise, "What do you mean on purpose?"

"She was teasing him on purpose," Li Li Xuewu said indifferently, "It was like that when we were in Steel City."

He looked at Yu Li with a mischievous smile and explained, "The first time Yu Zhe saw her, his eyes were wandering all over the place, and she caught him."

"And then?" Yu Li couldn't follow the logic; she didn't know how devious these two psychology-minded people were, or how dirty their methods could be.

"Then every time Yu Zhe came to pick me up, she would dress up on purpose," Li Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "Wearing gold-rimmed glasses, high heels, styling her hair..."

"..." Yu Li was speechless. She looked at him and asked, "You're treating my brother like a Japanese devil to be toyed with, aren't you?"

"What does that have to do with me?" Li Li Xuewu said amusedly, "It was Zhou Wang Yamei who did it."

"She was just messing with Yu Zhe on purpose." Yu Li understood now. She rolled her eyes dramatically, slapped Li Li Xuewu's instep hard, and said, "The other foot."

Li Li Xuewu winced and switched feet, saying, "I swear, this has nothing to do with me."

"You're no good person either."

Yu Li hummed, "You knew she was doing it on purpose, yet you stood by and watched the show."

"Yu Zhe was the one who wasn't firm."

Li Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said, "He likes older, intellectual types."

"This is not up for discussion, don't you interfere—" Yu Li looked up and emphasized earnestly, "My father has already paid the bride price, and he's asking when he's getting married."

"Then let him get married, get it done this month."

Li Li Xuewu decisively sold Yu Zhe out, saying, "It's perfect, I'm going to Jin Ling, and he'll have time then."

"Then I'll go back to the capital with you."

Seeing him say this, Yu Li didn't find it abrupt. She thought of things on the fly, and she was truly afraid her brother would get into some romantic trouble.

Even if those women were sensible, what if? If he really brought a child home, the Yu family's reputation would be completely ruined.

"About a week," Li Li Xuewu calculated in his mind and said, "That's enough time for him to get married. Once he's married, I'll arrange for him to return to the capital."

"Mm." Yu Li responded, then looked at Li Li Xuewu embarrassedly and asked, "What will you do for a car when he leaves?"

"There's no shortage of drivers," Li Li Xuewu smiled and said, "I'll just find another one."

Speaking of which, he raised an eyebrow and asked Yu Li, "Do you need me to arrange something for Yu Zhe's partner?"

"To the school in your group?" Yu Li certainly wanted that, but she shook her head immediately and said, "No, let her teach in the village; it'll save them from bickering."

"Mm, whatever you say." Li Li Xuewu smiled. Seeing that she understood the situation, he didn't say anything more.

When Yu Li finished tidying up and came back, he patted the space beside him and said, "Come here, let me give you a massage too."

"No." Yu Li decisively refused, "You're up to no good."

She rolled her eyes at Li Li Xuewu and chided, "It's never just a massage with you. Where did you learn these bad tricks?"

"It's definitely not from you."

Li Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said, "Do you want to try..."

"Didn't go home?" At the Red Steel Group office building, Li Li Xuewu ran into Gao Gao Yaqin just as he stepped out of the elevator.

His itinerary was no secret, especially not to Gao Gao Yaqin.

He was going to Jin Ling with her.

"I came to the group first to take a look." Li Li Xuewu nodded, gestured toward the office, and invited her to join him.

Gao Gao Yaqin had nothing on her hands and was just thinking of chatting with him about the Jin Ling trip, so she walked toward the office.

"The flight is at ten tomorrow morning."

She introduced, "We'll set off for the airport at eight-thirty and expect to arrive around three in the afternoon."

"Mm, that's not close." Li Li Xuewu nodded and asked, "Is Deputy Director Jing going?"

"She's not going; Deputy Director Gu is going." Gao Gao Yaqin glanced at him and emphasized, "Director Li arranged it."

"Oh—" Li Li Xuewu smiled knowingly and said, "I heard comrades from the Propaganda Department say last week that our group is going to start a television station?"

"Are you playing dumb with me?" Once they entered the office, their conversation became more casual.

Gao Gao Yaqin looked at him meaningfully and said, "Even if you're far away in Steel City, I don't believe you know nothing about the group's affairs."

"Of course, of course." Li Li Xuewu smiled and gestured for her to sit on the sofa.

Zhang Enyuan tested the thermos with his hand and found it was hot, so he made two cups of tea, brought them over, and then went to his small office.

"Since Deputy Director Gu is going to Jin Ling this time, she might ask for your opinion."

Gao Gao Yaqin crossed her right leg, glanced at him, and reminded him with a hidden meaning, "If you have any opinions, you can ask her."

"What opinions could I have?" Li Li Xuewu said amusedly, "I support any project that is beneficial to the group's development."

"..." Gao Gao Yaqin twitched the corner of her mouth, her expression full of disbelief.

It would be a miracle if she believed Li Li Xuewu; it was good enough if half of what this person said was true.

"The television station shouldn't be that fast."

She thought for a moment and said, "Deputy Director Gu's idea is that we can start the preparatory work now, such as talent cultivation."

"Oh, that's a normal line of thinking."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and asked, "Are we cultivating them ourselves, or recruiting from colleges?"

"Where would we recruit from now?" Gao Gao Yaqin said indifferently, "Deputy Director Gu's idea is to establish relevant disciplines at the Vocational and Technical College to cultivate broadcasting and television talent independently."

"That works too; if you have the money, you can do it."

He picked up his teacup and took a sip; it was still hot. "How does that saying go? Nothing comes without spending money."

"The way you use that phrase—" Gao Gao Yaqin glanced at him, skipped the topic, and said, "Director Li's idea is that after the Jin Ling region is established, the branches of the Sales General Company should be allocated for management."

"Mm, he mentioned this to me."

Li Li Xuewu explained after putting down his teacup, "Everything south of the Yangtze River will be allocated to the Jin Ling region, and everything north of the Yangtze River will be allocated to the Jinmen region."

"Eight branches in the south and eight in the north."

Gao Gao Yaqin thought for a moment, frowned slightly, and asked, "Don't you think doing this will affect the coordination of trade work?"

"It might, but it's temporary."

Li Li Xuewu nodded slowly and said, "Splitting it from the Jinmen Trade Management Center, with the south managing the south and the north managing the north—in the long run, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages."

"It's just too rushed." Gao Gao Yaqin agreed with Li Li Xuewu's point of view and emphasized with a frown, "It could have been handed over gradually."

"The Jinmen Trade Management Center has the most resources of the Sales General Company after all." She tilted her head, looked at Li Li Xuewu, and said, "Cutting it all at once now, whether it's organizational structure or personnel allocation, they might not recover for a year."

"It shouldn't be that bad." Li Li Xuewu also thought as he spoke, "The Jin Ling region has been in preparation for a year; they should know what they're doing."

"Furthermore, precisely because trade resources are more concentrated in Jinmen, splitting up won't hinder the development of the Jin Ling region."

He pointed at Gao Gao Yaqin and said, "However, you need to keep an eye on the Yuezhou branch. The wharf construction there is synchronized with Yingcheng, and it can be operational by next year or the year after."

The Trade Management Center is split into two, with the Jinmen region overseeing the Beijing, Jinmen, Liaodong, Frontier, Jicheng, Changshan, Bingcheng, and Quancheng branches.

The Jin Ling region oversees the Quzhou, Chuncheng, Lincheng, Jincheng, Changan, Yangcheng, Lvcheng, and Yuezhou branches.

Among these, three branches possess ports or wharves: the Yingcheng branch under the Liaodong branch, the Yuezhou branch, and the Jinmen branch.

The Red Steel Group's Sales General Company specializes in trade work, and it goes without saying what wharves or ports mean for trade work.

Li Li Xuewu pointed at Gao Gao Yaqin and emphasized "security" even more, saying they couldn't let the Red Steel Group be the one doing the work only for someone else to steal the house.

The Red Steel Group has deep-rooted connections in Yingcheng because of the existence of the shipyard, but acquiring a wharf in Yuezhou still lacks certain local connections.

"Who is the first General Manager of the Jin Ling Regional Company?" Li Li Xuewu asked with a frown.

He said he didn't care about organizational personnel, so he wouldn't deliberately pay attention to this. Old Li had been a bit sensitive lately, making Jing Jing Yunong exhausted from dealing with it.

Just taking care of Liaodong was tiring enough; Li Li Xuewu couldn't add any more trouble for her.

Furthermore, he had no intention of interfering in the affairs of the Sales General Company; it was better to keep a low profile at this time.

Since he had already chosen to hide in Steel City, he shouldn't get overly involved in the group's competition.

Even now that he wasn't getting involved, there were people finding trouble for him because they were afraid he would. If he participated actively, there was no telling what kind of chaos would ensue.