Chapter 1593: Who is this being said about?

"What's wrong?" Li Xuewu was accompanying his two children, standing in the courtyard playing. Seeing Gu Ning return looking distracted, he frowned and asked, "What happened?"

"Our dean has been taken away."

Gu Ning raised her head, looked at him, and said with a somewhat dazed tone, "Just now, before getting off work."

Li Xuewu's brow twitched. He said nothing, walked over, and gently hugged her.

"I don't know... I don't know why..." Gu Ning seemed to have found something to lean on. Her stiff arms wrapped around his waist, clutching tighter and tighter, as if she were grabbing onto a straw to save her life.

"Don't let your imagination run wild. Before I came back, Dad even called me to ask about how the children are doing." Li Xuewu gently patted her back and comforted her in a warm voice, "Dad has long been prepared; he won't be harmed."

"I'm afraid..." Gu Ning's voice trembled slightly, unable to hide the fear in her heart.

If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she truly couldn't have imagined the volatility of the situation and the gap with reality, even though Li Xuewu would read those newspapers at home.

She was not a heart of steel, just a bit clumsy in expressing her emotions.

"Take some leave. How about this Saturday?"

Li Xuewu lowered his head to look at her and said, "I'll arrange for you and the children to go to Jin Ling to stay for a few days. Mom and Dad miss the children."

"I still have to go to work." Gu Ning raised her head, wiped away her tears, and seeing Li Shu and Li Ning standing by her side looking at her with worry, she tried hard to calm her mood.

"Mom—" Li Shu reached out, tugged at her finger, and asked, "Why are you crying?"

"Li Ning isn't afraid of bad guys!" Not knowing what had happened, in Li Ning's mind, only bad guys could make people shed tears.

Gu Ning bit her lip, squatted down to take the two children into her arms, nodded slightly, and said, "Mom is fine. I'll be better in a little while."

Li Xuewu looked at the mother and her two children huddled together, sighed helplessly, and turned to walk into the foyer.

"Mom, don't cry—"

Li Shu pouted her little mouth, tears also swirling in her eyes. She held her mother's face with both hands and pleaded, "Please don't cry anymore."

"Mom isn't crying." Gu Ning gave her a smile, raised her hand to wipe away the tears, and said, "Li Shu shouldn't cry either."

Li Ning had long been scared into crying, burying his head in her shoulder, his little hands clutching her clothes tightly.

"Sister?" Zhao Yaping, who had returned from school, was startled. She stared blankly at the mother and children, her face turning pale.

"It's fine, your second brother is back."

Gu Ning picked up her son, turned back to look at her with a smile, and said, "Hurry and go inside."

"I just went to..." Zhao Yaping pointed blankly outside the door and explained, "I went to pick up Li Shu, but the teacher said her father had already come to get her."

"Mm, he's inside." Gu Ning took Li Shu's little hand, walked toward the courtyard together, and urged, "Next time Dad goes to pick you up, you must leave a message for your aunt."

"Mm—" Li Shu's response still carried a nasal tone. She blinked her eyes, but tears fell down, cool against her skin.

In the living room, Li Xuewu had just hung up the phone. Turning back to see them enter, he said, "I've already requested leave for you. Saturday morning flight, to Jin Ling."

Gu Ning was stunned. She couldn't describe the feeling in her heart, only feeling that having him here at this moment was truly good.

"Mom." Li Shu raised her head and looked at her mother; she had heard everything Dad just said.

"Li Shu, do you miss Grandma and Grandpa?"

Li Xuewu stepped forward a few paces, squatted down to look at his daughter, and asked, "How about going with Mom to see Grandma and Grandpa this Saturday?"

"Can we still go?" Li Shu suddenly widened her eyes, nodded in pleasant surprise, and said, "Okay—going to see Grandma and Grandpa!"

"Will it..." Gu Ning looked at him with some hesitation and said, "The department has been a bit busy lately."

"Director Zhang has approved a week of leave for you." Li Xuewu pursed his lips and explained in a gentle tone, "You won't be able to take time off for a month after you return."

"Okay." Hearing him say this, Gu Ning nodded and said, "Then let's go to Jin Ling."

"The group has a research delegation going to Jin Ling on Saturday morning; you'll go with them."

Li Xuewu stood up, walked to the tea cabinet to brew two cups of tea, handed one to her, and said, "Mom and Dad miss you too."

"You haven't rested for a long time; go and relax your mind this time."

"Mm—" Gu Ning held the teacup, sat down by the sofa, lowered her head, and explained, "Today..."

"Don't think about today's matters anymore."

Li Xuewu sat down beside her and comforted her softly, "You cannot understand the essence of these changes, nor do you have any interest in caring about them, so they are all in the past."

For him, these were scenes he had long been accustomed to, but for Gu Ning, it was easy to associate them with her parents far away in Jin Ling.

The last few times she went home, he had called her father-in-law in the study, and during that time, he had mentioned certain contents, which she might have overheard.

What was most feared was half-understood speculation, especially the things he said while hiding in the study, which caused Gu Ning's already fragile heart to have a stress reaction when witnessing the dean's encounter.

Fortunately, he was there. Gu Ning leaned her head gently on his shoulder and stopped talking. Even though the dean's bleakness flashed through her mind from time to time, she closed her eyes slightly.

The most powerful part of a storm is not the cold rain, but the destructive wind, the coldness that levels everything.

It wrapped itself in a downpour, yet turned the raindrops into billions of bullets sweeping across the world.

The world trembled and deformed in its roar.

What you could hear was its scream as it tore through the air, the cracking of trees unable to bear the weight, and the faint wails of all things under the suppression of absolute power, drowned out in the howling wind.

Caught in the middle of it, people were like ants; any shelter seemed precarious and vulnerable.

It was a feeling of suffocation, as if one's heart were being gripped by a huge, invisible object.

The coldness of the wind lay in its unquestionable, irresistible absolute will when executing destruction, as if the only truth between heaven and earth were its current fury.

Either linger on in the fury or exile oneself in the fury.

Li Xuewu never dared to consider himself a savior; he was merely a drop in the ocean, an ordinary wave in the tide.

He had given Gu Ning and the children a home, and Gu Ning and the children had given him a home, so he had to be responsible for her, for the children, and for this home.

How he had persuaded himself over these years was exactly how he persuaded his father-in-law.

When the father-in-law and son-in-law first talked about the situation, he only used one sentence: as long as the green hills remain, there is no need to worry about firewood; the fire is burning brightly, one more is not too many, one less is not too few.

What was truly needed was the courage to stand up at a critical moment, not an inexplicable sacrifice in the vortex.

Li Xuewu didn't know how his father-in-law understood these arrogant and selfish words of his; perhaps certain things touched his heart, and he made choices.

"Surprised? What kind of look is that?"

Cheng Kaiyuan saw him stop and look him up and down, and asked with amusement, "Haven't seen each other for a few days, and you don't even recognize a comrade?"

"If you had come back a month later, I really wouldn't have recognized you." Li Xuewu teased him with a smile, "Where did you go to be so carefree? Look at you, have you put on weight?"

"Ten jin, dare you imagine?" Cheng Kaiyuan took out a cigarette case, lit one for himself, raised his eyebrows, and sighed, "This has been the most comfortable vacation I've had since I started working."

"Is that so—" Li Xuewu asked with a strange expression, "The food was quite good?"

"Mm—it was alright—" Cheng Kaiyuan nodded in a serious manner, counted with the finger holding the cigarette, and said, "A meal had to have... three dishes."

He turned to look at Li Xuewu and said seriously, "Every meal had one meat and two vegetables."

"Tsk tsk—envy—" Li Xuewu cooperated very well by showing an envious expression and said, "Next time there's an opportunity like this, can you think of me?"

"You?" Cheng Kaiyuan looked him up and down with amusement and hummed, "I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to stand the loneliness."

"If I were to say you are narrow-minded, you wouldn't mind, would you?" Li Xuewu was quite biting, looked at him with a grin, and asked, "When you were on vacation, the one you missed the most was still me, right?"

"Ha—hahahaha—" Cheng Kaiyuan was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, laughing louder and louder until tears came out.

"What's going on? Happy like this." Gao Yaqin poked her head out of the office, glanced at the two, and asked, "If there's good news, don't you want to share it with me so I can laugh too?"

"Good news, absolutely good news." Li Xuewu said while walking, "It couldn't be better. Didn't you see Deputy Director Cheng laughing until he cried?"

"Oh—" Gao Yaqin glanced at Cheng Kaiyuan, raised an eyebrow, and said, "What kind of laugh is this? Laughing like crying, crying like laughing."

"This is Deputy Director Cheng's characteristic."

Li Xuewu stood at the door of her office, a hint of a mischievous smile at the corner of his mouth, and said, "He says this is called personality charm."

"Pfft—" Gao Yaqin couldn't help it either. She glanced at him, knowing he had no good words in his mouth, but she didn't expect him to be so biting.

"He's envious." After finally settling his emotions, Cheng Kaiyuan pinched his chin, raised an eyebrow, and explained, "He also wants to take a month's vacation."

"Are you willing?" Gao Yaqin glanced strangely at the departing Li Xuewu and pressed, "Don't you want to come in for a cup of tea?"

"Not thirsty, I'll drink when I have time. Save it for me." Li Xuewu waved his hand nonchalantly, carrying his notebook toward his office.

Gao Yaqin gave a faint smile, turned back to look at Cheng Kaiyuan who had left in another direction, her eyes full of inquiry.

Deputy Director Cheng had returned, but those cadres who were taken away at the same time did not all return, and even those who did were arranged to study at the 721 Cadre Academy.

No one knew how they came back, and they didn't mention where they had gone; it was as if they had disappeared inexplicably and returned inexplicably.

Even if they were curious, those in the agency only dared to discuss it quietly in private; on the surface, everyone maintained an attitude of "none of my business, hang it high."

They weren't crazy; were these things they were qualified to care about?

Li Xuewu had just returned from the General Manager's office, and those who cared were watching him, wanting to know the next arrangement.

Very strangely, this Secretary-General was even steadier than Director Li, steady as Mount Tai.

And at the Group Economic Construction Work Conference held at nine o'clock, his speech exploded like thunder in the ears of the attending representatives.

Starting from September last year, the Japanese Sanhe Corporation had been actively seeking further cooperation with the Red Steel Group regarding the electronics industry, but had been repeatedly rejected by Li Xuewu.

In the eyes of everyone, the economic situation last year was just right, making it the best time to launch negotiations and sign cooperation agreements with Sanhe Corporation.

But his series of performances left everyone confused, and they had grievances but didn't dare to bring them up, fearing they would be slapped in the face by him.

This wasn't the first time; those who had been slapped in the face were still hurting, so how could they dare to jump out and attack him in the face of such an obvious mistake?

That was Li Xuewu, the Li Xuewu who had never experienced failure, the founder of the group; who dared to underestimate his judgment of the situation and the landscape?

Director Li managed the group, and the only opinions he could listen to came from the Secretary-General.

Seeing him so confident, even insisting on delaying cooperation with Sanhe Corporation when the situation was getting more severe day by day, this was clearly a trap!

So they remained silent. Even when grassroots cadres who didn't understand and were guessing wildly took the initiative to report that the Secretary-General was being somewhat arbitrary on this issue, the group management remained silent.

Nonsense, just because of some guesses from those below, they had to use their faces to be Li Xuewu's cushion? Their faces weren't worth that much.

Didn't Mr. Lu Xun say something? Ride a donkey and read the script, let's wait and see.

At this time, whether they opposed or supported Li Xuewu's opinion, saying it out loud had no meaning; they just had to wait for the Secretary-General's feedback.

They couldn't just keep dragging it out without cooperating forever, right? Even Su Weide had this much patience; don't look at how he used cars and people, he was quite capable of enduring.

Time flew to May. When the situation took a sharp turn for the worse, Li Xuewu suddenly stood up at this point in time to express his stance, requiring all operating units and competent departments of the entire group to emancipate their minds, let go of their hands and feet, and work hard and fast.

What was the situation? Including some management, they were almost shocked numb.

Even if there were calculations and preparations early on, there was no need to be this surprised, right? They couldn't even figure out if this time was suitable for working hard and fast?

They didn't need to doubt, because the policy decision-making layer, the Group Management Committee Director Li Huai De, was the first to stand up and express his stance: he supported the Secretary-General's opinion.

In his speech, he pointed out that the Red Steel Group was at the best historical development opportunity, and they must grasp the current work focus, carry forward the spirit of dedication...

Alright, actually, whether it was General Manager Li Huai De's stance or his speech, the attending representatives could treat it as farting, because everyone knew he didn't understand business work at all.

Everyone's eyes swept over the serious and earnest faces on the stage; those who should express their stance and raise opinions should be those leaders in charge of business work.

What surprised everyone again was that the Chief Economist Gao Yaqin, who was in charge of the group's economic work, subsequently expressed her stance, supporting the Secretary-General's opinion.

And then, Deputy Director Dong Wenxue, who was in charge of the group's foreign economic and technical cooperation, and Deputy Director Cheng Kaiyuan, who was in charge of the group's industrial production and scheduling, expressed their stances one after another.

The questioning voices and atmosphere in the venue were instantly suppressed. With so many leaders supporting the Secretary-General's opinion, it seemed there wouldn't be any surprises.

It was just that they were still confused in their hearts, wondering what had happened to make the Secretary-General so firmly believe that the opportunity suitable for the group's economic development had come again.

Since encountering the "cold winter" last year, the group had actively sold off tertiary industrial and light assets to exchange for better development space, and even wrote stable development into the three-year plan.

But why did he suddenly step hard on the accelerator of economic development work at this point in time?

The answer might be hidden in the newspaper, in an article about the Yangcheng Export Commodities Fair, which introduced Mr. Z's instructions on the exhibition hall plan for the 27th Yangcheng Fair:

Foreign trade must also promote production and promote domestic trade, combining production, usage, and scientific research.

You Ning found a newspaper, hurried into Deputy Director Su Weide's office, and without any pleasantries, spread the newspaper flat and pointed to a paragraph in it.

Su Weide frowned slightly, picked up his reading glasses, put them on, and looked carefully.

It was just a paragraph, a few dozen characters. He looked at it for a full few minutes, and only after a while did he take off his glasses and look at You Ning, asking, "Just this?"

"Leader, this is all I can think of." You Ning nodded and confirmed, "Foreign exchange, it must be foreign exchange, otherwise it wouldn't affect our group."

"Oh—" Su Weide placed his fingers together in front of him, pondered for a while, and said, "Is it just because of foreign exchange?"

"It seems so, otherwise..."

You Ning hesitated when mentioning that name, and didn't dare to mention the three words "Secretary-General," "He wouldn't be that aggressive."

Actually, when seeing Deputy Director Su frowning and pondering, he was also a bit suspicious, not knowing if the leader understood what he had just said.

If he understood, he should say something, right? If he didn't understand... you damn well ask, what are you pretending for!

"It is indeed too aggressive, indeed too aggressive." Su Weide clenched his fists nervously, then relaxed them, clenched them again, and relaxed them, over and over.

He wanted to make a move, but didn't dare to gamble. The slaps he received last year still left his face numb. This time, he couldn't just offer his right cheek for the other side to hit again.

"How about..." You Ning asked tentatively.

"What?" Su Weide seemed to have just reacted, looked at him, frowned, and said, "Don't spread this matter, wait and see."

"Leader." You Ning just wanted to blurt it out, but noticed his tone was wrong, paused, and then reminded him softly, "Don't miss the opportunity."

"Mm, there is still time." Su Weide's just-relaxed nerves were raised again by his words, his fists clenched, and his palms were full of sweat.

He knew what You Ning's unsaid opinion was. Since taking him to see the "world," this Deputy Division Chief of the Comprehensive Cadre Division had become his confidant.

You Ning knew some of his methods, including the support of the Northern Industrial Newspaper, as well as the affirmation and recognition from that young man whose nickname also carried the word "Tiger."

Compared to him, You Ning was bolder.

He had to say, You Ning was the confidant he truly grasped, one who had gathered his upward ambition, absolutely thinking for his career and progress.

The old saying goes, "A new emperor, a new court." You Ning's intentions, he knew clearly.

He was just waiting for him to take office, and then he would reward the meritorious officials.

However, although Su Weide said there was still time and he still had a chance to make a move, he was afraid that You Ning's words would become a prophecy and he would miss the opportunity.

Heaven knows if he missed this time, he would have another chance to deal with Li Xuewu.

Those voices mocking him, as well as the cold sarcasm and strange looks from his former colleagues, made it seem like he had become a primary school student after coming to the Red Steel Group.

Encountering setbacks one after another, he also had bitterness he couldn't speak of.

In the eyes of some people, the Red Steel Group was full of loopholes and vulnerable; any one of them could come down and become the General Manager, master the entire group, and reach the pinnacle of life.

But in reality?

Was he, Su Weide, just a piece of trash?

If the Red Steel Group's management was really that weak, and the ecological environment was really that fragile, how did the Red Steel Group get such a big scene?

This wasn't a zoo; this was a monster cage.

"You bring a secretary to play mahjong?"

Li Huai De looked at Zhou Xiaobai following behind him with amusement and asked, "On vacation?"

"There are no classes in the evening anyway." Zhou Xiaobai was not polite at all; seeing him, she felt no pressure at all, and even dared to talk back.

Li Huai De wasn't angry either. He pointed to the coffee table with a grin and said, "There are newly arrived fruits, take whatever you like to eat."

Zhou Xiaobai didn't treat him as a leader; she hoped more that Zhou Xiaobai would call him "Uncle." But in Li Xuewu's eyes, this was wishful thinking; this girl had some schemes.

"I'm just here to pass the time, I absolutely won't disturb you all." She raised her hands with a smile, walked toward the sofa, and said, "I can also serve tea and pour water."

"That's great, Liu Bin will thank you."

At this time, there were only a few of them in the room. The mahjong game hadn't been fully assembled yet; it was Li Xuewu and Zhou Xiaobai who arrived first.

"Who's all coming tonight?" Li Xuewu caught the muskmelon thrown by Zhou Xiaobai, broke it open with a smile, and asked, "It's not like you're calling people on the spot, right?"

"Can I call people on the spot when I play mahjong?"

Li Huai De waved his hand with a smile, refused the half muskmelon he offered, nodded, and explained, "I can't enjoy it, it's too sweet."

"Oh, forgot." Li Xuewu took a bite and asked, "Playing mahjong won't delay anything, right?"

"Hahaha—" Li Huai De burst into laughter, pointed at him, and emphasized, "Even if I were to die tomorrow, I'd still play today."

What is called "bad skills but big addiction"? In a year, he didn't know how much he had sent out at the mahjong table. If it weren't for the fact that he was a leader, someone would have given him the title of "Wealth-Sending Boy."

"When is this place moving?" Li Xuewu tilted his chin, gesturing to the room, and asked, "How is the renovation over at the reception hotel?"

"I haven't had time to go over and look these past few days."

Li Huai De scratched his completely bald head, walked to the side of the sofa, sat down, and said, "Listening to their reports, it should be soon."

"This money can't be spent in vain." Li Xuewu finished the muskmelon in his hand in a few bites, walked into the bathroom to wash his hands and the corners of his mouth, and said, "Just thinking about it makes my heart ache."

"Mm, it is indeed different."

Li Huai De tilted his head slightly, leaned on the sofa, looked at the furnishings in the room, and said, "The renovation plan for the reception hotel was designed by the French, and the equipment was also purchased from abroad."

"The specifications are this high?" Zhou Xiaobai, who was gnawing on a watermelon, raised her head and asked in surprise, "Higher than the standard of the International Hotel?"

"Hehehe—" Li Huai De looked at her with a smile and explained, "You're talking about the current International Hotel; I'm talking about the reception hotel that is about to operate."

"That's not—" Zhou Xiaobai just wanted to say "That's not the same," but she suddenly reacted. Li Huai De had one more sentence he hadn't said, which was the future International Hotel.

That's right, the Red Steel Group could introduce a French design team to lead the renovation plan for the reception hotel, and even spare no expense in equipment procurement to purchase from abroad using foreign exchange, which meant that this set of plans was also the design and configuration standard for the International Hotel.

"The group headquarters is in the Liangma River Ecological Industrial Zone." Li Huai De said faintly, "There cannot be no excellent reception hotel here."

She turned to look at Li Xuewu blankly, and then thought of the deeper meaning of his words, which was to say that the supporting industries must be complete.

"Still the same sentence, as long as the money isn't spent in vain."

Li Xuewu wiped his hands clean, picked up the tea prepared for him by Liu Bin, took a sip, and continued, "The group indeed needs good reception conditions."

Li Huai De spread his hands, pursed his lips, and said with self-satisfaction, "Of course."

"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu laughed lightly; only he in the room understood where Old Li's confidence lay.

"Yo! Secretary-General, it's you."

The one speaking was Ding Zigui, General Manager of the Literary and Art Publishing House. As soon as he entered from the door, he saw his back and took the initiative to greet him.

Li Xuewu turned around, put down his teacup, shook hands with him, and said, "Director Li didn't say who all was coming tonight."

"Director Li didn't tell me either." Ding Zigui smiled; the strength of his handshake was solid, and his smile carried a sense of closeness.

Being able to walk into this room, and even being able to play a game of mahjong when the Secretary-General was present, was precious for Ding Zigui, who had a "wrong" history.

"Oh, forgot to introduce, our United Industrial Newspaper reporter, Little Sun, Sun Tong."

He introduced her to Li Xuewu, "I specifically pulled her over to do an exclusive interview for Director Li."

"Hahaha—" Li Huai De laughed and pointed at him; he didn't even have the strength to scold him.

This was of course a joke; could he really interview Director Li on how he used his off-work time to find colleagues to play mahjong together?

"Secretary-General, hello, very happy to see you." Sun Tong was quite polite, smiled, took Li Xuewu's extended hand with both hands, and shook it gently.

"I even wanted to apply to the newspaper office last month to go to Liaodong to interview you, but the director said you rarely accept interviews, so I never had the chance to see you..."

"You have the chance now." Li Huai De's face still held a smile; he pointed in Li Xuewu's direction and teased her, "If you have any questions, just ask."

"Then I wouldn't dare—" Sun Tong smiled and looked at Li Xuewu. She said she didn't dare, but her eyes were full of expectation.

"Director Li is picking on you; haven't you heard it yet?" Li Xuewu didn't let her off either, smiled, stepped aside, signaled for them to come in and sit, and teased her, "You only said you wanted to interview me; isn't this neglecting Director Li?"

"Hey—" Li Huai De waved his hand with amusement and said, "Interviewing anyone is the same. Ask the Secretary-General; his words are all golden words."

"Listen to your leader." Li Xuewu smiled, patted her arm, signaled toward Zhou Xiaobai, and said, "Go interview Director Li tomorrow about how he feels when he loses at cards."

"Hahahaha—" Li Huai De never cared about winning or losing at the card table. The more Li Xuewu teased him like this, the more he found it funny.

These were all leaders in the room; how could Sun Tong dare to take this joke?

She glanced at the beautiful girl sitting there eating and drinking, surprised in her heart, but smiled and nodded on the surface, considering it a greeting.

Zhou Xiaobai had long noticed her, and it was the look in her eyes when she looked at Li Xuewu that made her feel a bit vigilant in her heart.

However, seeing the other party's friendly expression, she returned a kind smile. Li Xuewu wasn't hers anyway; why be nervous?

Besides, even if Li Xuewu wanted someone, he would look for a young girl like her; he wouldn't look at a young married woman like this.

"Three missing one." Li Xuewu never went to the sofa side, picked up his teacup again, and asked, "Who else did you call?"

"You'll know in a while." Li Huai De pointed to the fruit plate and signaled to Sun Tong, "Don't be polite, take whatever you like to eat."

"Thank you, leader." Sun Tong smiled politely. She glanced at the uninhibited Zhou Xiaobai and really felt too embarrassed to reach out and take anything.

What kind of sacred person was this girl, to be so relaxed in front of the leaders? Did she really think this was her own home?

Could she be Director Li's daughter? Or a relative?

Looking at Director Li's kind eyes, it did seem like it, but Director Li didn't have a daughter, and she hadn't heard of such a junior.

This girl's attire and temperament were definitely not that of an ordinary family's daughter. If she were really Director Li's relative, since she could sit here, she definitely wouldn't have appeared so late.

Then if she wasn't Director Li's relative, she could only be the Secretary-General's...

Forget it, can't guess anymore. As a reporter, her observation skills were the sharpest, her eyes the most poisonous, and her thinking the most open.

She suppressed the surprise and speculation in her heart and sat there quietly listening to the leaders chatting nonsense.

This was Sun Tong's first time participating in such a scene in private. Director Li wasn't unfamiliar to her, because as a newspaper reporter, she often followed Director Li down for research.

And for the Secretary-General, she had rarely come into contact with him since she started working at the newspaper office last year, so there was Ding Zigui's introduction when entering the room.

Different from work hours, Sun Tong had some understanding of the other side of the leaders, so seeing them talking and laughing, and even joking, she didn't feel it was very strange.

Leaders are also people; they aren't always serious from morning to night. They also need entertainment and life during non-work hours.

In the hearts of ordinary cadres and staff, leaders are often images of sitting on the stage speaking, or being serious or smiling when walking into the workshop for research.

But in reality?

In private, Publishing House Manager Ding was very good at pretending. Before, he pretended to have culture, and after arriving at the publishing house, he pretended even more to be a cultural person.

Seeing a calligraphy work hanging on the Secretary-General's office wall, he also followed suit and hung a calligraphy work of "Tolerance is a Virtue," but in private, colleagues all said Manager Ding's belly had grown quite a bit.

When he first started working at the publishing house, Ding Zigui weighed only a little over 120 jin. Three years had passed, and it looked like he wouldn't be under 160 jin.

"Ya! Ya! Ya! Secretary-General!"

Labor Service Company General Manager Feng Xingke entered like a machine gun, "da-da-da." Before Li Xuewu could put down his cup, he reached out.

"Three missing one, the one missing (virtue) is you."

Li Xuewu shook his hand with a smile, but teased him with a double entendre.

How could Feng Xingke not understand? He raised his eyebrows with a smile and said, "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been able to get this game."

He wasn't made of paper either; he returned the same to Li Xuewu, walked into the living room with a grin, and greeted Ding Zigui and Li Huai De.

Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, narrowed his eyes slightly to look at his enthusiasm, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Zhou Xiaobai was chatting with Sun Tong. The two weren't in the same age group, but they were very curious about each other's identities and work, chatting happily.

"How big are we playing today?" Feng Xingke pointed to the mahjong table, signaled for Liu Bin to place the tea brewed for him on the small table, and was busy talking to Li Huai De.

But he didn't see that Liu Bin responded with a smile, but the smile on his face cooled down a bit the moment he turned around.

Offending people often happens inadvertently.

And this situation is most afraid of comparison. The Secretary-General's status is not noble, but when he met him at the door, he patted his arm. When it came to Feng Xingke, how could he be so arrogant?

He was here to serve the leaders' mahjong game, not specifically to serve him. What was he pretending for?

"Old rules, you can't leave until the money in your pocket is lost." Li Huai De was energized. For today's mahjong game, he didn't even drink alcohol in the evening.

Of course, he rarely drinks alcohol now. Even if there is social engagement, he brings others. He still wants to work for the organization for another thirty years.

"Then you have to work harder." Feng Xingke patted his bulging waist bag flatteringly and said, "I came prepared today."

"Alright, I'm watching you." Li Huai De stood up with his hands on the sofa armrests, waved his hand to signal everyone to the mahjong table, and greeted, "I'm going to kill all four directions today."

"Hehe—" Li Xuewu glanced at Ding Zigui. The two looked at each other and couldn't help but smile.

How many times had Director Li said he would kill all four directions, but what was the result?

Li Xuewu hadn't come back often in the last two years, and even if he did, he rarely played mahjong with Li Huai De. Ding Zigui, on the other hand, had caught a few opportunities.

He knew Li Huai De's rules for playing mahjong very well: play seriously. No matter how much money he wins, he doesn't get anxious, and he's even very happy. You must not play fake cards.

However, if you really play for real, you say you win a pocketful of money from him, but in your heart, you always feel uncomfortable, as if he would give you trouble later.

But after a long time, the trouble didn't happen, so the only thing left in his heart was feeling bad.

Winning once or twice is fine, but out of ten times, there are seven or eight times when you win.

This Director Li's mahjong skills are really bad. If you say playing mahjong is most taboo about changing the feng shui, and even more taboo about having someone sitting behind you watching the cards, none of this works on Director Li.

Even if you held a God of Wealth sitting behind him, his card skills would still be bad.

If you say his luck is bad, it's really not. Just look at the cards he plays, his luck is actually quite good.

But it's just this hand of card skills, plus that mind that isn't clever but likes to show off, he can always mess up a good hand.

Hey! Don't you dare guide him; he hates it most when someone is nagging behind him while playing mahjong. He won't listen to a single word.

So, as soon as he came up, Li Xuewu hugged his dealer position and stood there. He didn't even open the door, losing four times.

"A good start." Feng Xingke glanced at him with a grin and said, "Secretary-General's luck is really prosperous."

"This is only the first hand, nowhere near the end."

Remember, no matter when you are, you must be humble, but you cannot act like a gentleman at the mahjong table. If you are humble, just wait to lose money.

The more arrogant and proud you are, the more your luck can be kept, and the more confident you are when playing cards.

"Why do you have time to play cards?"

Ding Zigui changed the subject, glanced at the opposite side, and asked, "Didn't you ask for leave a while ago?"

"Father-in-law passed away, busy for a few days."

Feng Xingke explained while touching the cards, "Actually, I didn't have to go, but I couldn't stand my wife's nagging. I had to go."

"You should have gone." Li Huai De looked at the cards in his hand, busy left and right, and said, "A father-in-law is also a father."

"Hehe." Feng Xingke said with a smile, "My father-in-law looked down on me too much. He wouldn't even let me go to his house when he was alive, saying my horoscope didn't match his."

"Hahaha—" Li Huai De was about to burst into laughter. He glanced at him and said, "I've heard of horoscopes not matching between husband and wife, but I've never heard of horoscopes not matching with a father-in-law."

"When we were on a blind date, my wife liked me, but he didn't."

Feng Xingke laughed at himself and said, "At that time, I was just a poor boy. There were seven of us brothers in the family, and we took turns wearing pants. We were all about to starve to death."

"That's enough." Ding Zigui said with a smile, "You can also be considered to have started from scratch."

"Hey, if I hadn't entered the factory, I would have really starved to death." Feng Xingke pursed his lips and said, "Do you know how much I weighed when I entered the factory?"

He glanced at the opposite side, looked at Li Huai De, gestured, and said, "Less than 80 jin, not even as heavy as the pigs in the village."

"It was difficult at that time; I could risk my life for a bite to eat." He smacked his lips and said, "At that time, to grab a spot in the factory, I would do anything."

"Was it your father-in-law who helped in the end?"

Li Huai De glanced at him and asked, "Was your father-in-law originally from the factory? Or..."

"Originally an accountant in the factory. He recruited me in." Feng Xingke nodded and said, "But at that time, it was still a steel mill, not on the rolling mill side."

"The rolling mill was later acquired from the metallurgical plant."

He raised his chin, looked at the mahjong table, and said, "Just because I entered the factory and earned a salary, I could support my whole family."

"You don't know, I supported a whole family with one month's salary. My wife's salary had to be added in, otherwise, it wouldn't be enough to eat."

"Goodness, how many mouths?" Ding Zigui said with a smile, "If it were now, it would be enough of a struggle."

"I've suffered enough." Feng Xingke continued to sell his misery, "For ten years of marriage, I didn't dare to make a new piece of clothing. If it weren't for my father-in-law's support, if it weren't for me being willing to lose face, how could we have today?"

He smiled, glanced at the few people, and said, "Don't look at me saying this; actually, the day he was buried was the only time I really shed tears. His sons were only busy moving things."

"Hehe—" Li Xuewu laughed lightly and said, "I've also seen this scene; it was quite lively."

"Have you ever seen people fighting over a grave site?" Feng Xingke looked at him and asked, "Just because the brothers couldn't decide whose land to bury him on, they almost used their fists."

"Wasn't the old man an accountant?" Ding Zigui asked, "Didn't he arrange for his own sons?"

"They have to be that kind of material too." Feng Xingke said faintly, "Mud that can't support the wall."

Ding Zigui rolled his eyes. Who is this being said about?