Chapter 1602: Rally Race

The receiving team from Xijing was left in Steel City, neither advancing nor retreating.

Gu An acted very anxious, but his heart was actually quite calm; except for a phone call every day asking about progress, the rest of the time was for rest, rare rest.

"The environment here is okay."

He had long sized up his brother-in-law's office; it was impossible not to be envious.

The two clearly had similar ranks, but the working environment was more than a little different.

"Hehe, it's okay." Li Xuewu was reading documents, chatting with him one sentence at a time; the brothers had been together for a few days, so there was no need to be polite.

"Still, enterprises are comfortable—"

Gu An leaned back; the texture of the genuine leather sofa was absolutely incomparable to wood.

"What? Envious?" Li Xuewu raised his head amusedly, looked at him and asked, "Or should I talk to Dad and have you transfer to an enterprise."

"Sigh—" Gu An sighed, helplessly saying, "It's not like you haven't stayed in the army; you should know this feeling."

"Staying in one environment for too long makes it hard to walk out; I might not be able to adapt to the local environment."

"That's not necessarily true." Li Xuewu smiled and looked at him, "The local area still needs cadres with outstanding management ability, just like you."

"There's no need for us to praise each other like this, right?"

Gu An looked at him amusedly, drinking hot tea, and placed his gaze on this large office again; how comfortable it must be to work here.

However, he only accompanied Li Xuewu for one morning before he didn't think such a large office was worth it, because Li Xuewu was really too busy.

To put it this way, from morning until now, he was the later one, but the people reporting hadn't stopped.

Not only were there people reporting work, but there were also temporary affairs to handle, and he even attended a meeting.

He was representing the unit to express his stance, so he had to sit for the whole morning, but seeing his brother-in-law busy, he felt tired himself; he couldn't do this job.

One morning, except for going to the bathroom, he was there the whole time, witnessing with his own eyes how Li Xuewu worked.

One thing didn't need to be wordy; which departments were involved, phone calls to summon, all came to his office for meetings.

Concise and to the point, hitting the nail on the head.

Possessing the foresight to see through right and wrong, the true knowledge to distinguish contradictions, and a vigorous and resolute style; no wonder his father thought highly of his work in the local area; it was truly capable.

"Secretary-General, any news from Director Li?"

Gao Yaqin appeared at the door with documents in her hand, asked this, and then saw Gu An.

"It must be Captain Gu." She took the initiative to greet him, appearing very polite.

Gu An stood up, looked at Li Xuewu; he didn't know this female comrade, but she looked like a leader, so he waited for his brother-in-law to introduce her.

"Group Chief Economist, Gao Yaqin."

Unexpectedly, before his brother-in-law could introduce her, she took the initiative to introduce herself, very capable.

"Hello, I'm Gu An."

Gu An appropriately expressed goodwill; he could see that there was also goodwill in the other party's eyes.

No need to think, she must know about the relationship between him and Li Xuewu.

"Please sit, no need to be polite."

Gao Yaqin nodded with a smile, looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Was the pilot for our Group's flight team introduced by Captain Gu?"

"A small effort." Gu An sized her up, smiled and said, "We should also thank Red Steel Group for its support and help in retirement and transfer."

"Then we are one family."

Gao Yaqin smiled and looked at him, "Mutual support and help is what should be."

"..." Gu An was stunned for a moment, then his smile increased a bit, "Fish and water are deeply affectionate."

A small exchange, but it allowed Gu An to see the complexity of local work; he rarely encountered this kind of role that dug holes as soon as they came up in the army.

"I haven't received any phone calls from the Group." Li Xuewu saw they had finished their pleasantries and spread his palms, "How about you?"

"This is Liaodong." Gao Yaqin let out a long breath and said, "You come to ask me about this kind of thing?"

"Hehe—" Li Xuewu stood up, raised his hand to signal the sofa, and said, "Sit, sit down and talk."

"Not sitting, I'm going to Yingcheng."

Gao Yaqin shrugged her shoulders and said, "Anyway, there's no news for a while, might as well take this time to go to Yingcheng for a turn; haven't been there for a long time."

"That's also good, Xu Sinian must miss you." Li Xuewu said with a smile, "The kind that misses you very much."

"Then I'd better not go."

Gao Yaqin smiled helplessly, nodded at Gu An, and said, "Captain Gu, even without the relationship of the Secretary-General here, we are one family."

"Rest here for a few more days; if there are any problems, let's solve them together."

Seeing Gu An stand up, she nodded, said to Li Xuewu, "I have to go to the port area to take a look; it opens at the end of next year, many things need to be prepared in advance."

"Good, that's also good." Li Xuewu sent her to the door and reminded her softly, "Don't agree to any of Xu Sinian's requests; he has been very jumpy lately."

"What if he jumps?" Gao Yaqin looked at him and raised her eyebrows, "With you pressing here, let him jump."

"You should be prepared for the several projects involved in the port area." She reminded Li Xuewu instead, "Especially those acting management projects."

"Hmm, Santa Ya Group, Five Harvest Bank, and Geely Star Shipbuilding will all move in."

Li Xuewu nodded slowly, frowned and said, "Geely Star Shipbuilding intends to do acting management projects."

"Did you agree to them?" Gao Yaqin raised her eyebrows, "More than one company contacted me."

"The Yangcheng Trade Fair is about to end, right?"

Li Xuewu had a bad intention, suggesting, "Is it suitable for the trade fair here to..."

"Sha Qizhi is currently in Hong Kong."

Gao Yaqin narrowed her eyes when she heard him say this and asked, "Do you think the export exhibition fair in September is suitable for..."

"This year, it's still mainly an experimental exhibition fair; try to expand it next year."

Li Xuewu said softly, "The current situation is not very smooth for us, you know."

"My opinion is to give the lower levels some buffer time, and also give the higher levels some buffer time."

He pointed his finger virtually and emphasized, "Stable development is more important than anything; we have long passed the stage of reckless work, and now we are afraid of falling short of success."

"Then I'll wait for your news." Gao Yaqin thought for a moment, nodded and said, "After I return from Yingcheng and finish things here, I'll return to the Group to report this matter to Director Li."

"Still want to thank you." Li Xuewu reached out with a smile and said, "Great kindness is not spoken of as thanks."

"A bit hypocritical—"

Gao Yaqin slapped his hand away, waved her hand with a smile and said, "Leaving, don't need to send me off."

"Hello?"

"Me, Li Xuewu."

Zhang Enyuan connected the phone, and Li Xuewu picked it up.

"I'm looking for Director Zhu at this time, he should have retired, right?"

"Hahaha—" The other side laughed for a while and said, "You speak so directly."

"He still owes me a meal, why can't I be direct?" Li Xuewu also laughed and asked, "Who's in charge now? Vice Factory Director Bai?"

He asked this on purpose, just to see how the other party would answer.

Liu Yongtao, Office Director of Beijing Chemical, the one who sprayed wine with him last time.

Even on the phone, the momentum on the other side was half a head shorter; it wasn't that that meal didn't contribute.

Li Xuewu was now a famous wine immortal; no one said they had to drink when he went out to handle things.

Famous in one battle.

"Director Zhang, just transferred here three months ago."

Liu Yongtao introduced, "Vice Factory Director Bai is now mainly responsible for business work; it's no problem if you have something to find him."

"Then it's no problem if I find you?"

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Your matter definitely isn't a small matter; even if I listen, it's listening in vain; how about I help you contact Vice Factory Director Bai, or ask Director Zhang directly?"

"I haven't dealt with Director Zhang; how can I communicate on the phone." Li Xuewu said indifferently, "Just convey my meaning; if it can be done, it can be done; if not, forget it."

Without waiting for Liu Yongtao to pester him, he introduced Liaodong Industry's needs bluntly.

This wasn't the core; the core was that he mentioned the tertiary industry that Zhu Xiaolin and Bai Changmin wanted to do at the end of last year, to see what Beijing Chemical's attitude was today.

If they have the heart, then discuss it; if they don't have this intention, he certainly wouldn't force it.

Red Steel Group got quite a few good things from East Germany, and Beijing Chemical was very jealous.

Involving technology like car paint, nylon, foaming, flame retardant materials for the automotive industry, the two sides were conducting cooperation negotiations, jointly developing and establishing production units, with Red Steel Group using technology as equity.

And the fertilizer production, crude oil refining, chemical fiber, and synthetic resin that Beijing Chemical got were what Red Steel Group needed, which was also the basis for cooperation between the two sides.

Especially synthetic resin, Red Steel Group got the matching car shell production technology.

It was originally a situation where both sides benefited, and his proposal to establish a fertilizer plant in Liaodong and develop tertiary industry was a pleasant surprise for Beijing Chemical.

Now it depends on who is in charge of Beijing Chemical.

Why didn't he call Bai Changmin? Clearly, the communication between the two sides during the East German trip went very smoothly, and they had private friendship, but some things couldn't be said clearly?

Right, this involved too many relationships, and the friendship between them couldn't support it.

Another thing, really using private relationships to involve this kind of cooperation would sooner or later encounter backlash.

So this phone call wasn't made to anyone else at all, but directly to Liu Yongtao.

Li Xuewu had long ago asked people to inquire; it wasn't Bai Changmin who took over, but a leader from Beijing Industry who replaced Zhu Xiaolin; he couldn't possibly take the initiative to talk to the other party.

If he were in the capital, it would be fine; go around, and everyone would know each other; the other party would definitely be willing to see him.

Some things couldn't be said clearly on the phone, especially the incomplete expression of emotions.

Rather than wasting time, it was better to give Liu Yongtao a hint first, and then find him after the other party reacted.

If there is really this intention, that person surnamed Zhang will definitely let Bai Changmin, whom he is familiar with, contact him; if there is really no such intention, he would undoubtedly set obstacles for future meetings by looking for Bai Changmin.

He didn't know what the situation of Beijing Chemical was now; what if it was a situation of two tigers fighting?

Beijing Chemical couldn't be left alone, and Liaodong Industry had already carried the flag for him; subsequent work must be completed, and he couldn't let himself lose trust in others.

Truly unlucky, clearly didn't do anything, but pulled a pile of hunger, feeling blocked in his heart.

Now he didn't even know who the other party was, and didn't know who set this game for them.

Li Xuewu felt through the communication with Gu An that this game was made for the two of them.

Too direct, and didn't treat them as people at all, just bluntly buckled it on their foreheads.

There was no such bullying.

Of course, it was impossible for there to be no mole; Li Xuewu had long calculated who the mole was, but now he had to find those who were pushing the waves.

Similarly, he had to determine Li Huai De's position and attitude on this matter.

Why didn't he ask Dong Wenxue directly?

Couldn't ask, because his position and attitude on the No. 4 furnace incident were very vague.

The connection with Dong Wenxue had already decreased a lot, although both knew they must be closely connected and must stand together.

However, the subtlety couldn't be expressed in words.

Dong Wenxue should resent him; clearly had the ability, but didn't help him extinguish the fire in the first place.

The time dragged on for so long, the investigation team came down several times, and still didn't give the final result.

Even Jing Yunong saw that something was wrong; either it was his calculation, or he deliberately didn't care.

Anyway, how to say it, it was related to his attitude, so calling Dong Wenxue at this time had no meaning, but would make the other party angry.

Even if he didn't make this call, Dong Wenxue wouldn't let the situation develop to an irredeemable point, because this matter involved Gu An.

Cracks that couldn't be healed had appeared between the two, but they wouldn't blame Gu An.

So this call didn't need to be made.

Regarding the discussion about the relationship with Dong Wenxue, it wasn't that there was no discussion in the Group.

Some said master and apprentice turned against each other, some said hypocrisy, and some said he killed the donkey after the mill, and so on.

Li Xuewu thought about it himself; Dong Wenxue resented him, and there was also that matter at the beginning.

At the beginning, the matter between Dong Wenxue and that female attendant in Liaodong was finally solved by him.

At that time, Dong Wenxue was grateful to him, and he saved his future and family, but as time passed, this matter changed flavor.

Li Xuewu had long expected it; when Han Shu found him, he had thought about it and told Han Shu the cause and effect of this matter.

But Han Shu guaranteed that no matter the result, it wouldn't involve him, and would even take the initiative to coordinate.

Han Shu wanted to save the family and the last bit of face; Li Xuewu didn't know how the husband and wife relationship was, and didn't know if they had any knots in their hearts.

But he played an important role in this matter; any contradiction in Dong Wenxue's feedback on husband and wife relationship and family relationship would be transferred to his side.

It was his reflection and shame on those wrong behaviors, as well as the prejudice inevitably formed in the process of repairing self-esteem after escaping danger.

This mentality wasn't hard to understand; clearly you helped him, but still had to face his coldness.

Because you saw his weakest and most unbearable side; amplify it, if this were in the ancient struggle for the throne, he would have been killed to silence him long ago.

So the cooling of the relationship between the two didn't start after the other party returned to the capital, but from that time.

Didn't Li Xuewu know the gains and losses?

Knew, but if he didn't help, the father-in-law's side wouldn't pass, and Han Shu would also blame him for not saving him.

Dong Wenxue would also be disappointed in him, and the alliance relationship between them would inevitably break, and he would also lose an important connection in the Red Star Factory.

So the choice at the beginning was forced by circumstances; saying it was helpless was helpless, saying it was clear was clear.

From Gu An coming to Steel City, not mentioning the other party once, one could see that Dong Wenxue must have contacted his brother-in-law, after all, they were brothers.

Li Xuewu's current situation could be described as ambushed on all sides, full of crises, and could be abandoned at any time.

If Li Huai De really wanted to abandon him, it was very simple: dismiss him with an opposing attitude on this matter, transfer him back to the capital, and let him carry the pot.

What is Gao Yaqin here for?

Thinking about the attitude she expressed when she arrived in Steel City, she wasn't a good person either.

If Li Xuewu were a little cowardly, or showed a little lack of confidence, she would definitely prepare to take his place and do the takeover work.

Li Huai De was expressing dissatisfaction, putting pressure on him, warning him not to be disobedient.

And Gao Yaqin was very shrewd; she was considering whether the relationship between the big Li and the small Li had reached the point of truly tearing faces, and also thinking about the deep reason for Gu An's appearance here.

She didn't dare to bet blindly, because Li Xuewu hadn't been in Liaodong for just a day or two.

Not to mention Li Xuewu's influence in the Group, even if she held the blank order signed by Li Huai De, she wouldn't necessarily be able to suppress the scene.

Who is Li Xuewu? He had long been trained to be as shrewd as a monkey in one elimination race after another.

Calculate him? She had to have the necessary preparations.

Seeing Li Xuewu's tough attitude and the sharpness in his words, she knew it was bad.

Especially his layout was so decisive, he could actually persuade Liaodong Industry to help him support this pot.

Regarding Li Xuewu's social ability, she had never doubted it; this was a social bandit.

But she had never thought Li Xuewu would have such energy; under the involvement of several parties, he resisted the other party's first wave of attacks in such a short time.

This situation, perhaps the person behind the scenes didn't expect it either; under the background of national industrial enterprises being decentralized to local management, who had such great energy to directly influence local industry?

Gao Yaqin was a very shrewd woman; if there was no possibility of taking over, she would absolutely not express the intention of taking over the nest, and even took the initiative to express goodwill, ease the relationship, and even express her stance to the Group to stand on Li Xuewu's side.

The atmosphere at the time looked like two people arguing, but in reality, swords were drawn, and the situation was tense.

She dared to be false and snake-like, playing the set of waiting for an opportunity, Li Xuewu absolutely had the ability to make her fall in Liaodong and not be able to return to the capital.

Gao Yaqin didn't dare to bet on whether Li Xuewu had a backhand, because she came too hurriedly and didn't have the absolute winning trump card.

Don't blame her for being hesitant; she had to guard against Li Huai De's sinister cunning.

Giving her a blank document and letting her come to Liaodong, what does this count as?

If this matter really appeared to repeat, Li Xuewu would be unmoved, and she would have to face Li Xuewu's unequal and strongest counterattack.

Li Xuewu's heart wasn't big; killing the chicken to warn the monkey wasn't the first time he had done it, and saying he was vengeful wasn't an exaggeration.

She even suspected that Li Huai De deliberately let her come this time, mainly to calculate her.

She walked too close to Li Xuewu in business, and even listened to Li Xuewu's opinions on many things; in her view, this was nothing, after all, Li Xuewu had insights into economic work.

But in the eyes of General Li Zong Huai De, it wasn't necessarily so; the tacit cooperation between the two and the frequent actions of standing together had already had a certain impact on the Group's ecological environment.

As General Manager, what is the situation Li Huai De most wants to see?

It is that the people in his team have a little estrangement from each other, will not stand together, will not affect work, and the team listens to his command alone.

This is impossible, but he must infinitely push the relationship between team members toward this situation to improve his control ability.

He thought so, but not everyone was willing, such as Li Xuewu, such as Gao Yaqin.

Li Xuewu took him as a shield, he took Li Xuewu as a stirrer, and neither of them had any good intentions.

So, in this game, Li Xuewu had to face not only the conspiracy in the dark, but also the test of relationships.

Of course, Li Huai De didn't necessarily care; under pressure, he could abandon anyone.

Even if Li Xuewu escaped, he had enough time to repair the relationship between the two.

He bet that Li Xuewu didn't dare to perish together, because he had a handle that Li Xuewu didn't dare to bet on—the child in Jinmen.

"Secretary-General! I'm Shangguan Qi."

The phone came suddenly; Li Xuewu listened to the anxiety on the other side of the receiver, frowned and asked, "Hmm, it's me, what's wrong?"

"Secretary-General, Peter was taken away."

Shangguan Qi's voice was filled with fear, hoarsely reporting, "This morning, comrades from the Group's security department took him away without any reason."

"Who came to take him?" Li Xuewu's eyebrows locked even deeper; he was very annoyed.

"I'll ask, you wait."

It seemed there was more than one person with Shangguan Qi; after she asked, she returned to the receiver and reported, "It's the security section; the leader is Zhang Yamin."

"Hmm, I know." Li Xuewu's tone was always calm, "If it's convenient on your side, report this matter to Comrade Xia Zhongquan."

"I understand." Shangguan Qi was a bit flustered at this time, and the answering voice was trembling.

"If Comrade Xia Zhongquan knows, you don't need to worry about this matter; do your work well."

Li Xuewu gave her another instruction and hung up the phone directly.

Being able to move the Optoelectronics Research Institute from eight hundred miles away, and even using the security department's people without his knowledge, is this a provocation or a threat?

Peter had been watched for a day or two, and he wasn't without precautions, but these precautions had no effect in a sudden situation.

Peter came from East Germany, carrying optoelectronic technology; he was an important talent he brought back through operation.

Li Huai De knew about this matter, and it was also his operation; he must know the value of this person.

Now the security department had taken action, but he didn't stop it; then what did he want to do?

Red Steel Group didn't belong to Li Xuewu alone; if he wanted to do this, who would listen to his command in the future?

Another thing, Red Steel Group introduced a lot of technology from East Germany, and there were also many technical engineers working in Red Steel Group; under this background, doing this, wasn't he afraid of causing turmoil in these projects?

Li Xuewu didn't expect this situation to appear, so he had to wait, wait for the phone to call.

The most likely one to call was Xia Zhongquan.

But the first phone call came from Yu Decai, manager of the Quality, Safety, and Environmental Protection Department, his former deputy.

"Secretary-General, I'm Yu Decai."

Clatter—

Li Xuewu heard it was him, didn't respond with a word, and hung up the phone directly.

His phone call came late, and also came early.

Saying it came late was because before Shangguan Qi called, as the manager of the Quality and Safety Department, he should have reported this matter to him, but he didn't.

Saying it came early was because Li Xuewu hadn't won this defensive counterattack yet, and it wasn't time to settle the results.

Even Gao Yaqin knew he was vengeful, let alone the deputy who had been with him for two or three years.

He could have today, thanks to Dong Wenxue's knowledge and encounter, but also had to recognize Li Xuewu's promotion; if it weren't for Li Xuewu, could he have today?

Li Xuewu didn't want to listen to his explanation now; in the face of facts, no matter what sufficient reasons he had, they weren't enough to calm his anger.

This was hitting him in the face.

Although he had left the Group's security system, his contribution to security work wasn't so unbearable, and the tea didn't get this cold when people left.

He didn't want to listen to anyone's phone call now, just wanted to hear what Xia Zhongquan had to say.

The phone rang quickly, this time it was Xia Zhongquan, his tone very serious.

"I'm going to find Director Li now; if there isn't a sufficient reason for this matter, I'll definitely give you an explanation."

This was diametrically opposed to his usual cowardly personality; it could be heard that he was also very annoyed and angry.

This matter didn't happen in Liaodong, but in the Research Institute, which was his territory.

Someone could actually take people away under his nose without a sound; this was different from the Cheng Kaiyuan incident a while ago; the other party stepped on the red line.

Li Xuewu didn't say anything, hung up the phone again; he didn't believe Li Huai De would bet on this game at the expense of the Group's scientific and technological development future.

Even if he passed the level smoothly, the Group would break its two legs of Liaodong and scientific research in the future, and the industrial and scientific research situation would be withered; could he bear the consequences?

"Connect me to the Group's Comprehensive Management Department."

Li Xuewu thought for a moment, picked up the phone and asked for it back, the target being his base camp.

The phone was answered by the Comprehensive Office; hearing it was the Secretary-General, they quickly transferred the phone to the Deputy Secretary-General.

"Secretary-General, I'm Chen Shouzhi."

"Comrade Shouzhi, is it convenient to talk?"

Li Xuewu's voice carried a trace of coldness; hearing the other party's cautious answer, he said: "I discussed with General Manager Gao that the import and export trade exhibition fair in the second half of this year must increase its weight."

"Secretary-General." Chen Shouzhi's heart jumped, asking: "I here..."

"General Manager Gao will return to the capital in a few days; you contact her and follow her to Hong Kong."

Li Xuewu said on the phone: "Must grasp the reception and coordination work."

He didn't give the other party a chance to speak, saying bluntly: "The Group's supervision intensity in Hong Kong is not very comprehensive; at this time, rashly arranging comrades from Discipline Inspection to go over will cause unnecessary misunderstanding; we discussed it, and it's still appropriate for you to go."

"Secretary-General, I here—"

Chen Shouzhi panicked, explaining: "There are still many things in the Comprehensive Management Department that haven't been processed; can we arrange other comrades, or I can run a few more times..."

"It's still better if you go; I'm at ease."

Li Xuewu didn't allow him to argue, saying forcefully: "If others go, I'm not at ease; once a mistake occurs, it's not a small matter; that's it."

The phone call was finished and hung up; he hadn't received feedback from the management layer of the Comprehensive Management Department for several days; there was no need to leave face for this kind of person.

Now not dealing with him was because the time hadn't come, but there was no need to leave him to continue to be an eyesore. 【

He isn't being dealt with now because the time isn't right yet, but there is no need to keep him around to be an eyesore.

Go to Hong Kong?

Is Hong Kong that easy to go to?

Sha Qizhi is in charge of the International Business Department and has to stay in Tianjin for most of the year. Even if there is necessary work, he brings many people with him and won't let himself get tainted by even a bit of karma.

This time, Li Xuewu is being ruthless; he wants to make him stay in Hong Kong for three months, until the trade fair opens in September, just to see how many protective talismans he has.

Three months later, when the other party returns, no matter who dares to use him, Li Xuewu will dare to ignite this bomb and see who it blows up.

Gao Yaqin wouldn't dare stay in Hong Kong for even one extra day, let alone three months. Heh.

He isn't made of mud. If they want to play these backstabbing games, he will accompany them. At worst, they will both perish, and he will start over from scratch.

Li Xuewu continued to look at the documents, using work to soothe his emotions. He must remain calm at this time.

He is only 24 this year. Even if he leaves the Red Steel Group, he has enough time to stir things up again.

But even if he leaves, he must let these people know that they cannot provoke someone they shouldn't.

Ring, ring, ring—

The phone rang, but Li Xuewu didn't answer it.

Xia Zhongquan's call wouldn't come back this quickly, and there was no need to answer calls from others.

Even if he didn't answer, the office would, and important work wouldn't be missed.

The phone rang only six times before stopping. A short while later, Zhang Enyuan knocked on the door and walked in, reporting softly: "It was a call from Deputy Director Dong. He said he knows about the Security Division's matter; General Manager Yu told him."

"I don't know." Li Xuewu said indifferently: "I don't care who he told; I only know he didn't tell me."

"Then—" Zhang Enyuan hesitated for a moment and asked: "How should I reply to Deputy Director Dong's call?"

"Reply exactly like that." Impatience gradually crept into Li Xuewu's voice, and Zhang Enyuan decisively shut his mouth.

At this time, the corridor was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. No one dared to laugh or talk loudly in such a stifling environment, and the constant ringing of the phone was extremely jarring.

Just a short while after Zhang Enyuan went out, Zhang Jing knocked on the door and walked in, reporting with a frown: "Secretary-General, Steel Flight reported that Shen Flight's research personnel suddenly received orders to withdraw."

"Hmm." Li Xuewu replied calmly: "Contact Shen Flight and ask what the situation is."

"I asked, and they said they received instructions from superiors to pause the cooperation." Zhang Jing glanced at him and reported softly: "I asked them, and they seemed very vague, saying it was because we used many foreign research personnel, but they weren't certain on their end either."

"Hmm, I see." Li Xuewu raised his head, looked at him, and said: "You go to Steel Flight, see Kong Xiaobo, and tell him what I said: arrange for the accountants to liquidate the cooperative projects between both sides, and report the accounts to me as soon as possible. I will sign them, and then send them to Shen Flight."

"Leader—this—" Zhang Jing looked at him in surprise and said: "Is the situation that severe?"

"Heh—" Li Xuewu gave a cold smile, leaned back in his chair, and said: "This is the perfect time to screen friends, don't you think?"

"I..." Zhang Jing hesitated and reminded him: "We signed a cooperation agreement."

"Yes, and they breached it."

Li Xuewu said indifferently: "They were the ones who took the initiative to abandon the cooperation; the fault is not on our side."

"But—" Zhang Jing pressed his hand on the desk, leaned forward, and said softly: "Only the Steel Flight project was stopped; the engine and other projects are still running. Is it really appropriate to liquidate the projects at this time..."

"Aren't you and Shen Flight's leadership on very good terms? Do you want to make a call and ask?"

"At this point, is it necessary?"

Li Xuewu looked at him, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said: "Zhang Jing, remember this: cooperation never has winners or losers; only competition does."

"From the very beginning, Shen Flight has been running this race against us with a competitive attitude."

He tapped his finger on the desk and said: "You having Steel Flight is a potential competitive relationship to them; the project cooperation was just a delaying tactic."

"Steel Flight is in Liaodong, and the Red Steel Group has already set up a comparative example for Liaodong's industry."

Li Xuewu's mouth curled up slightly, and he said: "In the eyes of Deputy Director Lu in Liaodong, if they can't outrun the Red Steel Group, they must at least outrun the Red Steel Group's subordinate enterprises, right?"

"Standing here, we are a target."

He opened his palm and said: "When the weather is fine, we can talk about cooperation, and they have to actively seek it because it is their pressure."

"But they won't let go of any opportunity to kick us while we're down, even if it's just a test."

Li Xuewu clenched his fist to signal him: "Not even once. If they dare to bare their fangs, beat them up."

"Understood." Zhang Jing nodded slowly and said: "Then, by only liquidating the Steel Flight project, won't it be very disadvantageous for us?"

"It doesn't matter; they have to react."

Li Xuewu said nonchalantly: "The United Industrial System can afford this loss."

"Projects like the engine will inevitably have difficulties, but this also gives us the opportunity to contact and cooperate with other units. We don't only have them as an option."

"Then... what about the Group..."

Zhang Jing reminded him: "Shouldn't you report this decision to the Group?"

"Of course, of course I have to report it." Li Xuewu sat up straight and continued looking at the documents. "I'll do it when I have time; no rush."

Of course he wasn't in a rush. If Li Huade dared to poke the hornet's nest of the Research Institute, he would dare to dismantle Liaodong's household.

It's just a Steel Flight project, especially in the face of such a defection. If he doesn't do something, he'll really be looked down upon by those people in the Group.

Furthermore, he is the person in charge of the Group's industry in Liaodong and has the authority to handle all problems.

Especially in a situation where the other party actively withdrew personnel, if he didn't seize the opportunity to stir things up, it wouldn't be him.

He believes Wang Xin of Steel Flight is also testing him. The reason he didn't move the engine project is that he is betting that Li Xuewu will lose his footing and, with his own backyard on fire, take the initiative to call him to redefine the cooperation between the two sides.

Heh, don't even think about it.

Li Xuewu just wants to make a move that says "no cooperation means closing the door," and this project should never be started again.

Anyway, the efforts and funds invested by both sides are equal, and the research progress is in his own hands. What is he afraid of? Liquidating the costs is the killer move.

This time the other party dared to pull the chair out from under him; next time they would dare to pour chili oil on the rope used to hang him.

Wang Xin is a very smart person, but examples of being too clever for one's own good are everywhere.

Xia Zhongquan's call never came, and during this time, Zhou Yao and Wang Lu called separately.

Zhou Yao explained the situation at the Security Division. That day, she was arranged to go to the Red Star Training Ground, where there was a training project in cooperation with the Third Guard Regiment.

Of course, an explanation is an explanation, but she took the initiative to admit her mistake; this was a low-level error.

Li Xuewu did not reprimand her, but told her that the person in charge of the Confidentiality Section must be replaced, and at the same time, the personnel work in the division must be focused on and sorted out.

His tone didn't carry murderous intent, but his words were full of it. He wanted to kill one to warn a hundred and leave no future trouble.

Zhou Yao could certainly understand the deep meaning behind this. After confirming that he didn't need help here, she took the initiative to guarantee that there wouldn't be a next time.

She knew that even with Gu Yan there, her mistake this time had caused trouble for her second brother.

It was her failure to manage well, and a loophole appeared in their base camp, causing her second brother's face to be slapped swollen.

If there is a next time, she wouldn't have the face to work in the Security Division even if her second brother didn't say a word.

Wang Lu's call was very long-winded. She is working in the Labor Union now and said everything she knew, useful or not, as if she were afraid he didn't know what was happening in the Group.

Li Xuewu originally wanted to remind her that there was no need for this, but Wang Lu looked even more anxious than him, so there was no way.

The news she provided wasn't all useless; the news about Chief Engineer Xia Zhongquan slamming the table in General Li Zong's office was very shocking.

She heard it too. Xia Zhongquan was very angry; he not only slammed the table but also warned General Li Zong that if he didn't see Peter within three days, he would resign.

Forcing a Chief Engineer who personally established the Research Institute to resign—the implication behind this is very clear.

If Li Huade dares to do this, the Research Institute will of course still exist; he just needs to arrange for a management layer to go over and preside over the work.

However, for a long time, as long as Xia Zhongquan's influence remains, don't expect morale to recover, and the motivation and confidence of the research personnel will also be hit, not to mention the ongoing projects.

By doing this, Xia Zhongquan is almost pushing himself into an unnecessary opposition.

Because he had no need to do this at all, at least that's how it looks to others.

Treating Li Huade like this, his future development will be dangerous. Will Li Huade still use him?

Li Xuewu knows this is what Xia Zhongquan told him on the phone—that he would give him an answer.

It's a very simple truth: if Peter has an accident and Xia Zhongquan doesn't care, then he doesn't need to do his subsequent work. The pressure of Peter's matter will shift from Li Huade to him.

Because people at the Research Institute can't see Li Huade, but they can see him and know he didn't take action.

So at this time, Xia Zhongquan has to take action; he has already been placed in a dangerous position.

So, who will win this tug-of-war?