Chapter 1621: One step to the heavens, one step into the abyss

"When do you plan to propose restarting negotiations with the Sanhe Corporation?"

Gu Yaqin was still influenced by the Hong Kong style, wearing a long white dress at tonight's banquet.

A middle-aged woman cannot surpass a young girl in age or appearance, but they possess a unique temperament.

If Li Xuewu were to give her a score, based on her status as a long-time superior, she would get at least a 7.

"Hasn't it been a tug-of-war all along?"

Li Xuewu picked up his wine glass, took a shallow sip, and frowned slightly, saying, "The taste is still a bit off."

"You're just picky—"

Gu Yaqin glanced at the glass in his hand; it was a new product from the Wufeng Beverage Factory, a sparkling fruit wine.

Sparkling wine is something that can't quite be called wine or just an alcoholic beverage, as its alcohol content is comparable to beer.

For someone with a high tolerance, they wouldn't even consider beer as wine; it's just an alcoholic drink.

"Shouldn't one strive for excellence?"

Li Xuewu handed over the glass and emphasized, "Can't you taste a faint sourness?"

"That's normal, it's fruit wine." Gu Yaqin defended the beverage factory: "In my opinion, this is already excellent craftsmanship and quality."

She picked up a glass of the same wine from the long table, sniffed it lightly, and shook her head: "At the very least, it can completely crush similar products on the market."

"Haven't you tasted the products from the Beijing Fruit Wine Factory? That fruity sourness is even more intense."

"Can't we compare ourselves to something better?"

Li Xuewu wanted to put down the glass, but felt it would be a sin to waste it, so he downed it in one gulp.

He didn't want to drink it anyway; he'd let Old Li have it.

"Has Nakamura from Sanhe looked for you?"

Li Xuewu put down the glass, looked at Gu Yaqin, and asked, "What did he say? Does he want to start negotiations?"

"Do you think he would do that?"

Gu Yaqin raised an eyebrow and said helplessly, "Anyway, you weigh it yourself. I admit your plans are flawless; you really have pushed them into a corner."

"However!" She looked at Li Xuewu seriously and emphasized, "The longer this drags on, not to mention whether the cooperative friendship between the two sides will be damaged, even the technical reform process of Steel City Electronics will suffer losses."

"Therefore, since Director Li handed this project to you, I won't say anything more."

She spread her hands and said in a softened tone, "I'll wait for your notification, if you need me to organize the negotiations for this project."

"No problem, you're a professional." Li Xuewu smiled slightly and said, "Director Li trusts you."

"How should I answer that?" Gu Yaqin also smiled and retorted, "That I hope even more to gain your trust?"

"That won't be necessary—" Li Xuewu waved his hand, and as he stepped past her, he said, "Comrade's flattery is like poison to me."

"Tch—" Gu Yaqin didn't want to bother with him; this jerk was always inexplicably arrogant.

She took a small sip of her wine, letting the liquid linger in her mouth, and suddenly felt it was sour.

No wonder Li Xuewu complained; it turned out that when tasted carefully, the fruit acid lingering in the mouth for a long time had an astringent taste, which really affected the mouthfeel.

"Secretary-General."

Seeing him, Sha Qizhi took the initiative to greet him with a smile.

Li Xuewu shook his hand, smiled as he looked at him in his suit, raised an eyebrow, and said, "The event was organized well. I heard the response was very enthusiastic?"

"I am also learning from you."

Sha Qizhi had just arrived, his forehead still beaded with sweat. He looked around and asked softly, "If you aren't busy, may I treat you to dinner tonight?"

"Something up?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, nodded, and said, "I have to pick up Li Shu from school tonight. Why don't you come home with me to eat?"

"How could I be so bold—"

The smile on Sha Qizhi's face became much richer. He clenched his fingers and said, "Should I bring a bottle of good wine?"

"Hehe—" Li Xuewu laughed and patted his arm, saying, "Do you think I'm short of that one bottle of wine?"

As he said this, he pointed to Xue Zhifu, who was walking over, and said to Sha Qizhi, "Wait for me at the group gate after work. That's it."

"Understood." Sha Qizhi acknowledged, turned to look at Xue Zhifu, and greeted him with a smile: "President Xue."

"Hmm, finished?" Xue Zhifu looked at him and nodded: "You haven't had lunch yet, right? Go find something to eat. There's still a lot to do this afternoon."

"Alright, you two go ahead and talk."

Sha Qizhi nodded with a smile and headed to the dining area. There were many foreign guests today, so a cold buffet was set up.

It was actually a self-service buffet, guided by etiquette teachers from the French Foreign Affairs Office, with a very European flavor.

"I thought you would be able to make it back at the beginning of the month to attend the gymnasium completion ceremony."

Xue Zhifu handed his empty wine glass to a waiter, gestured toward the rest area by the window, and invited him to sit down.

Li Xuewu scratched his itchy scalp with his ring finger and replied, "The project in Liaodong has been officially approved, and people from Beijing Chemical have already gone to investigate."

"I heard about that. Another big project?"

Xue Zhifu turned his head to look at him and said, "You are always able to come up with tricks that others can't think of."

"You call this a trick?" Li Xuewu glanced at him amusedly and said, "Why don't you try doing one too?"

"Hahaha—" Xue Zhifu had long since experienced his sharp tongue and just smiled at this moment.

Once the two sat down by the window, they had long forgotten the unpleasant conversation from a few months ago.

"How much money has Beijing Chemical prepared?"

Xue Zhifu was quite interested in this project. He crossed his right leg, looked at Li Xuewu opposite him, and asked, "If the total amount is too small, it won't be of much use to the group project. If it's too large, they don't have the money to do it, right?"

He said amusedly, "You can't learn from Shenfei and dig out some non-performing assets from somewhere to exchange for cash, right?"

"Beijing Chemical is not a down-and-out family."

Li Xuewu leaned back, adjusted his belt, raised an eyebrow, and explained, "They haven't even given me a chance to propose letting the United Savings Bank get involved yet."

"Is that so—" Xue Zhifu was quite surprised and serious at this moment. He thought for a moment and asked, "Where did they get the money? Did the city approve it?"

"How could that be—" Li Xuewu tilted his neck and looked out the window: "With our group as an example, the city has always maintained a cautious attitude toward the corporatization of factories and the groupization of enterprises."

He waved his hand and said softly to the waiter walking over, "Please bring us two cups of black tea, thank you."

"Very well, leader, coming right up."

The waiter was wearing a white shirt, a gray vest, and a uniform blue tie, and was very polite.

It finally had the look of an "International Hotel," not just on the surface, but also in substance.

In recent years, the group has spent a lot of money on service operations. Young people like Han Yating and He Yu Shui are serving as general managers, and their management is very bold and productive.

At least for an occasion like today, if an old comrade had been in charge, it definitely wouldn't have achieved such good results.

"Beijing Chemical must have some connections."

Li Xuewu pinched his fingers and deliberated carefully: "But I estimate that in the end, they will still have to ask me, after all, it's an investment of tens of millions."

"Can the United Savings Bank have that much money?"

Seeing him say this, Xue Zhifu was a bit vague instead. He frowned and asked, "The risk is very high, right?"

At this time, the waiter brought two cups of tea, placed them on the coffee table between them, and left.

"The risk is controllable." Li Xuewu picked up his teacup and took a small sip. He had recently taken a liking to black tea.

I don't know why, but drinking green tea upset his stomach. Maybe his spleen and stomach were deficient?

"If it goes smoothly, I will arrange for the United Savings Bank to act as a guarantor and capital controller."

He put down the teacup and said faintly, "This is also what Liaodong Industry hopes to see."

"Of course they would prefer the Red Steel Group to get involved." Xue Zhifu turned his teacup and said, "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't."

"No, I'm not talking about the group, but the United Savings Bank." Li Xuewu looked at the opposite side and emphasized, "The group will not participate in this project as a joint venture, but will cut in from the perspective of capital operation."

"Capital operation?" Xue Zhifu frowned slightly, withdrew his right hand, and crossed his hands over his lower abdomen.

He thought for a moment, then looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "You mean to be a pure shareholder?"

"Of course not—" Li Xuewu snorted and said very arrogantly, "A shareholder's voice isn't worth a fart. Capital operation means being the referee of the project."

He tapped his finger on the small table, looked at Xue Zhifu, and emphasized, "Whether it's the resources and policies of Liaodong Industry or the project and operation of Beijing Chemical, they must all be completed under our control and guidance."

"You have this confidence?" Xue Zhifu looked at him unexpectedly and reminded, "Don't mess it up."

"I have a plan." Li Xuewu just replied faintly, then asked, "Do you want to ask about the engineering plan?"

"Hmm, United Construction mentioned it to me." Xue Zhifu reached out and picked up his teacup, saying, "They said Beijing Chemical wants to build a large-scale comprehensive industrial park in Liaodong."

"Wait a while, there will be news."

Li Xuewu scanned the banquet hall, pointed his finger in the direction inside, and asked, "Are there any targets among the clients here today that United Construction can win?"

"Hehehe—" Xue Zhifu looked in the direction of the venue and said, "Lang Zhennan is keeping an eye on it himself."

"He is still too soft." Li Xuewu commented mercilessly, "Lacking aggression."

"A thousand troops are easy to get, but one general is hard to find."

Xue Zhifu looked at him amusedly and said, "If there were a cadre like you, I would immediately let him abdicate, but I don't have one in my hands—"

He took a sip of hot tea, put down the teacup, and said, "I actually quite appreciate Xu Ning, but it's a pity that Director Li got there first."

"Who proposed sending him to Steel Auto?"

Li Xuewu frowned slightly and said, "Isn't this pulling up seedlings to help them grow? Or do they think I'm too easy to talk to?"

"Forget it, it's not worth getting angry over this."

Xue Zhifu sighed faintly and advised him, "The whole group is talking about the rejuvenation of cadres, and we must boldly let young cadres step into management positions."

He sat up slightly, looked at Li Xuewu, and said, "You are the role model for this group, how can you oppose this appointment?"

"I am not opposing this policy."

Li Xuewu emphasized impatiently, "Don't you know me? I have always been bold in using people, but—"

He only said half of what he wanted to say, didn't want to say the rest, glanced out the window, and said, "This appointment is not good."

"Good or bad, it's already like this."

Xue Zhifu let out a long breath and said, "Look forward. Think on the bright side, if Xu Ning really takes this opportunity to grow, even if he only has half your ability."

"Heh—" Li Xuewu looked at him amusedly and asked, "Do you have to use me as a standard?"

"Who else should I use as a standard?" Xue Zhifu smiled, picked up his teacup, and said, "You are already the ceiling for young cadres in the group, but don't be proud."

"Then I have to thank you for the reminder."

Li Xuewu reached out and picked up his teacup to gesture, saying, "I advise you to drink more black tea, it's good for your blood vessels."

"Is that so?" Xue Zhifu, who was drinking tea, was slightly stunned. He looked at the tea in the cup and asked, "Where did you hear that? Did your wife say it?"

"She is a surgeon." Li Xuewu pursed his lips and said, "My father said it."

"Then I have to believe it." Xue Zhifu nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly looked at him and asked, "I heard that even Director Li went to your father to recuperate?"

"Cough cough—" Li Xuewu almost choked, looked up, and asked, "Who did you hear that from?"

Everyone in the group knew Director Li had kidney deficiency. If word got out that his father had treated Old Li's kidney deficiency...

"Isn't that the case?"

Xue Zhifu said meaningfully, "We are comrades, after all. Although there are some differences in work, we don't need to distinguish between close and distant, right?"

He raised an eyebrow and said, "Is there any more of that medicinal wine Director Li drinks? Give me some."

"Is your kidney... also deficient?"

Li Xuewu looked at him with a complex expression, as if the person sitting opposite him was an old lecher.

"Cough—" Xue Zhifu seemed prepared, coughed lightly, and explained, "I'm getting old. We're all men. You'll have a day like this sooner or later."

"That also depends on personal physical fitness, right?"

Li Xuewu looked at him with a wicked smile and said, "If someone like you, who doesn't even touch tea, is still kidney deficient, it only shows you don't cherish your body enough."

"I knew your mouth wouldn't spare anyone."

Xue Zhifu sighed and said helplessly, "Coming from that era, how many people don't have health problems?"

He gestured to Old Li, who was chatting and laughing with foreign guests in the venue, and said, "Do you really think his body was ruined by waste? He suffered quite a bit in the past."

"Hmm, got it." Li Xuewu couldn't stand old comrades complaining, nodded seriously, and said, "I'll ask my father when I get home to see if there's any left."

"Why not get more at once?"

Xue Zhifu blinked and said, "Director Li alone uses quite a bit in a year, right?"

"Do you think he drinks it every day?"

Li Xuewu looked at him amusedly and said, "Even if I give it to you, you have to be careful. You're an old comrade, you have to be restrained. Don't learn from young people and show off."

"What are you talking about—" Xue Zhifu just thought he had nothing good to say, gestured with his chin to the venue, and said, "I'm going to see the Vice President of the Santa Ya Group. Don't forget about the Beijing Chemical project. Tell me when there's news."

"Got it." Li Xuewu nodded.

"By the way, the wine." Xue Zhifu, who had walked a few steps, didn't forget to look back and remind him of this more important matter.

Li Xuewu smiled and looked out the window, pretending not to hear.

"Why do I feel like there are no fewer foreign guests than the heads of the joint units?"

Li Xuewu got into the car and asked Sha Qizhi, who had been waiting for him.

Sha Qizhi replied with a smile, "Sixty-eight international traders. It can't compare to the Yangcheng Trade Fair, but our clients have more strength and are more in line with the expectations of both sides."

"Many of these people are members of the Andrew Buyers Club and know us very well."

He said confidently, "I also told President Gu that instead of copying the 'big pot of rice,' it's better to take the boutique route, the long-term cooperation route, and make the trade fair refined, detailed, and strong."

"You certainly have ideas—"

Li Xuewu glanced at him and asked, "Have you been running around outside the whole time? Haven't you been home?"

"How could that be? My wife would blow up."

Sha Qizhi smiled and explained, "I've just been busy these past few months, but I go home often."

"Hmm, don't look for trouble for yourself."

Li Xuewu patted his knee and reminded, "Although this kind of thing doesn't count for much, you are still young and shouldn't stumble over this kind of thing."

"Understood." Sha Qizhi nodded with a smile and said, "The children are so big, and I'm so busy with work, I don't have the heart for that."

"Hehe—" Li Xuewu looked at him and said, "Alright, I wish you success."

"I'll take your kind words—" Sha Qizhi was not polite.

The car stopped across the street. Li Xuewu got out of the car and went to the primary school gate across the street with Sha Qizhi.

"You still don't smoke, right?"

Sha Qizhi took out a cigarette case and gestured. Seeing Li Xuewu shake his head, he lit one for himself.

"Hehe, I'm used to it."

Seeing Li Xuewu looking at him, he explained embarrassedly, "When work gets busy, I rely on this to refresh myself."

"Do as you please." Li Xuewu had long seen that he wanted to smoke, which was why he didn't wait for Li Shu in the car.

However, he didn't take the initiative to offer him one in the car. Now he didn't smoke and was a bit impatient with the smell of smoke.

Unlike the filter technology of later generations, many cigarettes in this era did not have filters.

The ones with filters were considered high-end cigarettes.

But even with filters, the roasting technology for tobacco leaves was not as sophisticated as in later generations, and slightly cheaper cigarettes smelled choking.

However, there were those who loved this taste, wishing they could stuff the tobacco into their nostrils and light it with a match to inhale into their lungs.

"You should have heard, right?" After taking two puffs of the cigarette, Sha Qizhi said, "At the beginning of the month, Deputy Director Gu was appointed as the First Deputy Director of the Group Management Committee."

"Hmm, I saw it in the briefing."

Li Xuewu stood at the gate with his arms crossed, waiting for his child to finish school like other parents.

Not all primary school students have parents to pick them up. In this era, even if you don't come to pick them up, the children won't get lost.

Not only primary school students, but even from kindergarten, there are teachers who organize the students to send them home.

Holding hands, a few people in a small team, walking home in different directions.

It's even more so for primary school.

However, Li Shu is younger, the youngest child in the first grade, and neither Li Xuewu nor Gu Ning is at ease.

Starting first grade this year was entirely Li Shu's own wish. If it were up to Li Xuewu and Gu Ning, even if she had the ability, they didn't intend to force her to become a dragon or a phoenix.

But since she is strong-willed, let's try it. If it doesn't work, she can repeat the first grade, even twice.

However, someone has to keep an eye on her going to and from school. Although Li Shu doesn't let others bully her and dares to fight back, they are afraid she will be bullied or have conflicts with older students.

Today Li Xuewu came, otherwise it would be Er Ya. Even if dinner is a bit late, she has to come to pick her up.

"I heard it was the city's opinion?"

Sha Qizhi said meaningfully, "Is there any other intention in this?"

"Are there many people coming from the city to investigate recently?"

Li Xuewu looked into the gate, while asking in his mouth.

"I know quite a few." Sha Qizhi thought for a moment and replied, "But it's also normal."

"In recent years, the city has organized many study and research activities, and there have been even more since March."

He smiled when he said this and said, "Let me tell you an interesting thing, it's about Director Li."

Seeing Li Xuewu look at him, Sha Qizhi said softly, "Isn't it about inspection and research? According to convention, hospitality should be arranged, but Director Li doesn't allow it."

"Hmm, hmm?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow.

"Deputy Director Zhou signed the slip, but Director Li rejected it, which made things very unpleasant."

Sha Qizhi laughed and said, "I know that I'm not afraid of bad things, I'm just afraid of bad people."

He raised an eyebrow and said, "The group has long had hospitality work regulations, and someone set a trap for Deputy Director Zhou. We thought Director Li would handle it flexibly, but we didn't expect him to reject it directly."

What is flexible handling?

How many pairs of eyes are watching this kind of thing? It's not right for Li Huai De to open this gap, and it's not right not to open it.

But Zhou Wanquan came from the city, and he just arrived. Whether he knows the way or not, reasonably and emotionally, Old Li should give him this face.

As long as you write on the application that official hospitality is not allowed, and then write 'not to be repeated,' look at what Zhou Wanquan thinks. He will definitely turn around and clean up the person who dug the hole.

But Old Li didn't do that, he rejected it directly.

The effect was that Zhou Wanquan was slapped hard, and it spread throughout the organization.

"There are many people coming from the city for research and inspection, and the organization's hospitality expenses cannot afford it."

Sha Qizhi shook his head slightly and said while smoking, "Especially since we have a hospitality company, if this gap is opened, who knows how much will be eaten in a year."

"Now it's fine, even Deputy Director Zhou is not allowed, who else would dare to touch this bad luck."

"This matter may have nothing to do with Deputy Director Gu." Li Xuewu doesn't care about these flies and dogs. Zhou Wanquan's encounter has nothing to do with the application. It's just that Old Li can't stand him being too rampant and reaching too far.

Taking this opportunity to beat him, everyone can see the routine, including Zhou Wanquan himself.

He is thinking about Gu Weijie's situation. Now it must be no better than Zhou Wanquan's.

Combining Gu Weijie's previous performance with Old Li's understanding of her ambition, it would be strange if he didn't suspect her.

But the bystander is clear. Li Xuewu feels that she has been pitted. This appointment is dispensable.

"You mean..." Sha Qizhi was stunned, pinched the cigarette in his hand, and frowned, asking, "Is someone else calculating her? Pushing her?"

Li Xuewu did not answer his question, but looked at him and then at the campus.

At this time, the school bell had already rung, and the children's voices were boiling toward the gate.

He was looking for his daughter's figure, and also looking forward to his daughter discovering him first.

"Can't be." Sha Qizhi was still hesitating and asked, "Was that Deputy Director Zhou's idea?"

"Don't know, anyway, she didn't get any good."

Li Xuewu said faintly, "First or not, can you still surpass Director Li?"

"That's true—" Sha Qizhi took a hard puff of his cigarette, frowned and pondered, as if he had some clues.

This matter is strange. At the beginning of the month, the organization issued a notice requiring the organization construction work to be carried out again, to restore the organization's leadership mechanism, and to gradually restore organizational life.

And now appointing Gu Weijie as the First Deputy Director of the Management Committee is not just putting her on the fire to roast.

Originally Old Li was guarding against her, and now it's fine, it would be strange if he didn't stare at her to death.

Reverse thinking, who benefits from Old Li staring at Gu Weijie to death?

The biggest beneficiaries are Su Weide and Zhou Wanquan who are being targeted, and it is not excluded that there are others.

Obviously, Gu Weijie is restricted by Li Huai De, and others have more space and room.

In Li Xuewu's view, everyone is suspicious, even the city standing higher.

One Zhou Wanquan is not enough. Now provoking Gu Weijie can make the organizational ecology of the Red Steel Group more complex.

"Dad? Dad—"

Li Shu was talking to a child, but inadvertently swept across the gate and saw her father standing there.

She was both excited and surprised, and didn't care about the child, running out with all her might, even the teacher blocking the school gate didn't stop her.

"Li Shu!"

"Dad—"

Li Shu seemed not to hear the teacher's call, ran to the front, and threw herself into her father's arms.

"I miss you so much—"

"Dad misses you too."

Li Xuewu picked up his daughter, coaxed her who was already crying, smiled embarrassedly at the teacher who chased after her, and greeted, "Hello teacher, I am Li Shu's father."

He handed over his work permit to avoid the teacher scolding his anxious daughter.

"Hello Director Li, I haven't seen you."

The teacher was also very responsible. After reading his certificate, she explained with a smile.

"I work in other places, Li Shu has caused you trouble." Li Xuewu nodded and thanked, "You have worked hard."

"Not hard, it should be."

The teacher pointed to the school gate and said, "Then Li Shu will be handed over to you, I have to go back to work."

"Thank you, say goodbye to the teacher."

Li Xuewu shook Li Shu who was still shedding tears and gestured toward the school gate.

Li Shu turned back embarrassedly to wave goodbye to the teacher, and lowered her head to say hello to Sha Qizhi.

"Hello Uncle Sha—"

"Hehe—" Sha Qizhi watched the fun, reached out and scraped his face, and laughed at her: "You are already in primary school and still crying, aren't you ashamed."

"Hmm~~" Li Shu was even more embarrassed, covering her face and burying it in her father's arms.

"Wipe your tears quickly, don't be ashamed when your brother sees it later."

After getting into the car, hearing her father say this, Li Shu hurriedly took out a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe her eyes.

Sha Qizhi sat in the passenger seat, looking back at the delicate doll, his eyes full of envy.

In the environment where he lived, whether it was neighbors or relatives, they all regarded him as an intellectual.

He used to think so too, until he met Li Xuewu and came into contact with his family life.

True intellectuals have cultivation, which is directly reflected in the education of their children.

It cannot be said that his own children have no cultivation or culture, but compared to the education and care Li Xuewu and his wife gave Li Shu, he felt there was a gap.

It should have been because of her appearance that she was treated differently in class, but the self-confidence Li Shu developed from childhood made her easily adapt to school life.

Whether it is in academic performance, or in art and expression, she can be counted as a good student in the eyes of teachers. Who dares to discriminate against her?

What is the key to getting respect?

It is self-confidence.

Sha Qizhi knew Li Shu's life experience, but he also pitied this little girl more and felt more fortunate for her.

Meeting parents like the Secretary-General and Dr. Gu is her blessing.

Li Shu had already wiped her tears, and put the handkerchief back into her pocket in a regular manner, and then chirped to report her school life to her father, not forgetting to ask if her father's work was hard.

Along the way, Li Xuewu only took care of dealing with her, and did not chat with Sha Qizhi about work.

In mid-September, there was already a chill in the night air, not as warm as in later generations, it was really cold.

The cold air in Beijing is not given by air conditioning, but the coolness from minus 25 degrees in Siberia.

Of course, Li Xuewu didn't know how many degrees it was in Siberia at this time, but he knew it was going to snow in Ba Shang.

"When I went to Hong Kong, people said don't drink tea when drinking, drinking tea hurts wealth, hurts blessings, and hurts the body."

He was fiddling with the tea set, on the stone table and stone bench in the yard, and the driver went to send Xiao Xiao home.

Li Shu's tutor, for almost two years, still insisted on coming three or four times a week.

Sometimes Li Xuewu would catch up, but most of the time he couldn't, and they rarely met.

However, as usual, she had to stay for dinner. Li Xuewu was not at home, and if the weather was bad, she would stay overnight. If the weather was good, her father would take the initiative to pick her up.

The nights in this era are not so safe. Although in a sense, there shouldn't be bad people in this era, there are always people with bad brains.

After dinner, Xiao Xiao took the initiative to find him and asked if she needed to continue teaching Li Shu.

Li Xuewu saw her thoughts, perhaps because she was afraid that she cared, or because she was afraid of being embarrassed.

There are teaching fees every month. Li Xuewu is not at home, and Gu Ning usually gives it to her.

Even if she forgets, she will let Er Ya send it over, and she will never miss this matter.

But Xiao Xiao knows that she comes to teach at home, and the meaning is more to help take care of Li Shu and share the pressure.

After all, Li Xuewu is not at home, the family is all women, and the children are so young, there must be a proper person.

Li Xuewu and Gu Ning attach great importance to children's education and cannot hand it all over to Er Ya or Zhao Yaping.

Zhao Yaping has the ability to teach children, but she also needs to learn herself.

However, Li Shu is in the first grade, and she spends more time at school. Except for weekends, her teaching time is less, for fear of taking too much advantage of the leader.

When she first contacted Li Xuewu, it was for that unclear thought. She never thought it would develop into the situation today.

Li Xuewu never expressed interest in her, and she didn't dare to take the initiative to show favor, so she was deadlocked.

Now asking this, on the one hand, is to see Li Xuewu's attitude, on the other hand, is to find a step for herself. If the leader doesn't use her, then she will give up.

But Li Xuewu didn't pay attention to her point at all, and naturally talked about children's education.

First, he thanked her for taking care of Li Shu, and then mentioned Li Ning, who had just entered kindergarten.

Xiao Xiao was a little dumbfounded. Her original intention was not like this, but there was another Li Ning among her students.

In the past, she would also teach Li Ning some, as long as he was willing to follow when teaching Li Shu.

Now it's good, the leader said so, what reason does she have to refuse?

It's not that she doesn't know about Zhou Xiaoling. Although she hasn't understood the specifics, she can guess it.

Zhou Xiaoling's family conditions are okay, but working in the flight service department absolutely cannot live so well.

It's not that she can't buy a house or a car, but in terms of dressing and life, she is much stronger than the sisters who went out of the dance team.

To be honest, she is a little envious and a little moved. She knows that the only one who can be accepted by Zhou Xiaoling and the only one who can provide Zhou Xiaoling with a better life is him.

But she didn't have the courage to take the initiative, so her mood was not high when she left.

Li Xuewu certainly didn't notice. He drank a bottle of wine with Sha Qizhi at the dinner table. He didn't talk about work, but inevitably talked about the group's dynamics.

After dinner, the two came to the yard and had a suitable space to chat.

Sha Qizhi can take the initiative to find him, which means he has encountered trouble, or has a problem.

"Drinking tea after drinking is not very good."

Li Xuewu picked up the teacup and took a sip, saying, "Actually, drinking rice porridge is the most suitable."

"Hehehe—I can't drink rice porridge." Sha Qizhi said with a light smile, "Your family's food is too rich, my stomach can't hold it."

"You should have said this at the dinner table."

Li Xuewu pointed to the figure in the kitchen and said, "The girl has grown up and knows how to be proud."

"It's just at your house." Sha Qizhi drank hot tea and shook his head slightly, saying, "It's not easy to make money in this year."

"How is your family?" Li Xuewu looked at him and asked, "You shouldn't have any pressure, right?"

"My family is okay." Sha Qizhi nodded and said, "My wife has sacrificed a lot and worked hard, basically not letting me worry."

"The children are also very sensible, knowing what can be done and what cannot be done, making us feel at ease."

He looked at the small garden in the yard. It was not bright at this time, but he could smell the grass and trees.

"How are you in Steel City?"

After introducing his life, he looked back at Li Xuewu and asked, "Your pressure should not be small."

"It's all the same, work is work."

Li Xuewu leaned on the chair and said faintly, "Where is there a smooth sailing time, the higher you go, the more so."

"Actually, it's quite boring to think about it, right?" Sha Qizhi said with some realization, "Work is done well, someone says you are showing off, work is not done well, someone says you are incompetent, lukewarm, someone says you are pretending."

"Hehe—" Li Xuewu looked at him amusedly and asked, "Did you just start working?"

He picked up the teacup and took a sip, saying, "Do you understand this truth now? Do you see through it?"

"Hehehe—" Sha Qizhi lowered his head and smiled bitterly, saying, "I didn't feel that work was so difficult before."

"That's because you didn't use your heart." Li Xuewu pursed his lips and said, "The more you use your heart, the more tired you will be."

"Then it's my fault for working seriously?"

Sha Qizhi said with helplessness in his eyes, "How can this work be done?"

"That depends on what you want to get."

Li Xuewu leaned on the back of the chair, looked at the stars in the sky and said, "If you want to get others' approval, then do what they like. If you want to get your own approval, then do what you like."

"How can everyone like it."

Sha Qizhi sighed for a long time, looked into the distance and said, "People are like this."

"Then what else do you have to sigh about."

Li Xuewu turned his head to look at him and said, "I thought you had made progress, but it turned out to be so naive."

"I was obsessed." Sha Qizhi shook his head with a bitter smile, fiddled with the teacup on the table, and said after a long time, "Our company President Zhuang told me that he wanted me to be responsible for the supply and marketing business."

He raised his head, looked at Li Xuewu and explained, "He said that the International Business Department is difficult to achieve results, and it is not suitable for excessive publicity, and he also said that the supply and marketing work is more suitable for me."

"Hmm? What do you think?" Li Xuewu knew where his doubts were, frowned slightly and asked, "Want to be responsible for the supply and marketing business?"

"I don't really want to go." Sha Qizhi thought for a moment and replied, "I just laid out the stall here in the International Business Department, and I just smoothed out the relationship."

"Then what are you hesitating about?" Li Xuewu said indifferently, "Just tell him you don't want to."

"But..." Sha Qizhi frowned slightly and explained, "He said that the group's future work center is not on foreign trade, and the new Deputy Director Zhou and Deputy Director Su both hope to put the group's sales focus on the domestic market."

"President Zhuang's meaning is that only by prioritizing the domestic market can we do international trade."

"He told you that?"

Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Who has he been walking closer to recently?"

"I didn't pay attention to this." Sha Qizhi was also vague about this, otherwise he couldn't come to see him.

"I just don't know the group's attitude toward the International Business Department and international trade."

He said with some worry, "The Discipline Inspection Commission is also talking to the cadres of the sales company, as if it is aimed at the international trade part."

"What are you afraid of?" Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "Are you afraid of the shoes being crooked if your feet are straight?"

"You are the one doing international relations, can you not know the group's attitude?"

Li Xuewu's attitude became serious, saying, "Director Li has emphasized many times in economic meetings that foreign trade should be built as a key pillar of the sales company. How much money has been invested in these years, can it be wasted?"

He sat up straight, tapped his fingers on the stone table, and said, "Don't listen to hearsay; you must rely on your own eyes to see, your own ears to hear, and your own brain to think."

"Then—" Sha Qizhi frowned and asked, "What does the higher-up mean by..."

"Don't you worry about that," Li Xuewu said with a frown. "It hasn't reached your level yet."

"This is a management strategy formulated by the group, a key work priority written into the three-year plan and five-year plan. Can it be changed by the wishes and opinions of one or two people?"

As he spoke, he gave a cold snort and said, "I think Zhuang Cangshu has gotten restless."

It might not just be Zhuang Cangshu; when differences of opinion arise within the group's management, those below will subconsciously take sides, sometimes rising to the top in one step, and sometimes stepping into an abyss.