Chapter 1639: Give and Take

Monday, the 17th.

Li Xuewu did not bring much luggage when he returned this time, but he had an extra bag when he left, containing a coat prepared by Gu Ning.

He couldn't even remember how many coats he had: woolen, fur, long, short—all sorts of styles.

Of course, he also didn't quite remember where all these coats were hanging.

They might be at home, at the compound, in Steel City, in Jinmen, or perhaps in a hotel he hadn't even visited once.

Qin Huairu was so capable; when the guesthouse relocated, rooms were still reserved for group leadership in the newly built Tuanjie Hotel.

They weren't necessarily fixed, but if a leader came, there would definitely be one.

Saying they weren't fixed meant some leaders never stayed there, while others stayed frequently, such as Director Li.

Li Huai De had a strong addiction to mahjong and often called people to play; being able to sit at a mahjong table with Director Li was proof that a person had succeeded.

Although Li Xuewu hadn't been there yet, his room was fixed, and the clothes he previously had at the guesthouse had all been moved to the Tuanjie Hotel by Qin Huairu.

Perhaps she treated this memory as a bond, hinting that if she had "difficulties," she would still have the opportunity to seek his advice.

"Secretary-General, let me help you."

The attendant was very polite and courteously reached out to take his luggage; in the cold late autumn, even a smile had warmth.

"Thank you, I can manage myself."

Li Xuewu responded with a polite smile as well, his gaze sweeping across before he stepped onto the boarding stairs, with Zhang En Yuan following closely behind.

Li Huai De had arranged for his secretary, Liu Bin, to see him off. Naturally, it was a large Red Flag paired with the already equipped Cruiser; although the motorcade was small, it was very imposing.

Liu Bin stood not far from the boarding stairs, feeling moved but full of smiles as he watched the Secretary-General turn back to wave goodbye before entering the cabin door.

This time, the Red Star No. 1 was flying directly to Fengcheng, and the Secretary-General's party would return to Steel City after completing their work in Fengcheng.

Following the ground crew's instructions, Liu Bin waved goodbye once more, regardless of whether the Secretary-General saw him from inside the cabin, before getting into the passenger seat.

With the Cruiser leading the way and the large Red Flag following closely behind, they drove out of the airport.

Sitting in the car, Liu Bin was still trying hard to recall the conversation between Director Li and the Secretary-General that morning, which had, to a certain extent, shattered his existing perceptions.

When work is questioned and scrutinized, what is the first reaction of an average person, or rather, what reaction can they make?

Anger out of shame?

Desperate argument?

Or passive resignation?

In the lesson the Secretary-General taught him, none of these three answers were correct; instead, it was to work actively, letting the questioning and scrutiny collapse on their own.

Just as Liu Bin was arranging the vehicle to take the Secretary-General to the airport per Director Li's request, Director Li should have already set off, taking another car directly to the First Ministry of Machine-Building, and it was Director Li who had taken the initiative to report on the work.

Because earlier that morning, Su Weide, the Deputy Director of the Group Management Committee, had submitted his so-called investigation report to the First Ministry of Machine-Building and Beijing Industry without the Management Committee's review or Director Li's consent, citing interference in the investigation and requesting guidance and supervision from superiors.

No need to doubt it, Director Li was certainly furious. At the group's preparatory meeting for the representative assembly last week, Deputy Director Su's proposal had been rejected by Director Li, who even warned him that he could report it himself if he wished.

However, that was just a warning and did not mean Director Li allowed him to act on his own and report over his head; the nature of such behavior was quite malicious.

From Li Huai De's perspective, Su Weide did not trust him, did not recognize his decision-making during the management process, and was even challenging his authority.

From the superior's perspective, Su Weide only had two paths: one was that Li Huai De was truly wrong, and he "had" to disrupt the unity of the leadership team.

The other was that Li Huai De was not wrong, and he "dared" to disrupt the unity of the leadership team.

Regardless of the path, Su Weide had completely torn off the mask by doing this—a fight to the death; only one of them could remain between him and Li Huai De.

And his approach was sufficiently resolute.

He didn't just submit an application to one competent authority, but reported to both the First Ministry of Machine-Building and Beijing Industry simultaneously; he should have been very aware of the current attitude of the First Ministry of Machine-Building and Beijing Industry toward the management and operational status of the Red Steel Group.

This wasn't called "finding life after death," but rather "not knowing life from death."

Even if Li Huai De were truly wrong, the final handling of Li Huai De by superiors, and the handling of the involved parties Dong Wenxue and Li Xuewu, would have their own procedures.

But in this matter, with him handling it this way, how should superiors handle him?

Reward him? Heh—

I'm afraid even Su Weide himself wouldn't dare to think of such a thing.

But to talk about punishing him?

That's not possible either, because after all, he was "right."

However, as a management cadre of a group enterprise, he should be very clear that sometimes, right and wrong are not that important.

Or rather, the dividing line between the two is not that clear.

In the process of balancing the subjective intent of the parties involved, determining whether a violation occurred, and then evaluating the impact once a violation is confirmed, there will certainly be many subjective judgments at play.

So, when Li Huai rushed straight to the First Ministry of Machine-Building, Su Weide was also called into the city by Jin Songming, the deputy director in charge of Beijing industry, for a talk.

"Comrade Weide, sit."

Hearing his secretary's reminder, Jin Songming looked up, glanced at the doorway, called out Su Weide's name, and gestured toward the opposite seat with a flat tone.

To be honest, Su Weide was a bit nervous at this moment, even at his current position, and even when facing a familiar leader.

He had made his report to Beijing Industry in the morning, and before it was even ten o'clock, he had received a call from Deputy Director Jin's secretary.

Let's put it this way: he had never seen Beijing Industry work with such efficiency, and the person calling him in for a talk wasn't even the head of the industrial department.

"Deputy Director Jin, hello."

"Hmm, calling you in so suddenly, I didn't interrupt your work, did I?"

Although Jin Songming's tone was flat, he was still reasonably amiable. He began the conversation with Su Weide while processing the documents on hand.

Su Weide was also a leader at the Red Steel Group, so of course, he knew the routine of these talks; generally, one doesn't jump straight into the main topic, as there are always a few sentences of "small talk."

However, when facing someone with Jin Songming's seniority, his performance remained very cautious.

"No, I was studying organizational documents."

"Hmm, that's good." Jin Songming nodded slowly, seemingly still focused on the documents in his hand, and asked casually: "I heard you are preparing to convene the Group Organization Representative Congress? How is that progressing?"

"Uh—yes, we are going to convene the representative congress."

Su Weide hesitated, because the meeting was not going smoothly; due to his surprise attack, Li Huai had already postponed the relevant meeting agenda.

However, the Organization Representative Congress was a policy decision issued by superiors, and he could not show resistance to this decision, even if it was a mistake.

With his current ability, he could not bear the responsibility for delays or for affecting the normal preparation and organization of the meeting.

So he had to carefully consider how to answer Deputy Director Jin's question, which he didn't know was intentional or unintentional.

"Director Li's intention is to schedule it for next month, together with the year-end work meeting, which is also convenient for other branch companies and enterprise heads to return to Beijing."

He really knew how to talk; the meeting agenda for this year hadn't even been finalized yet, and he had already made the decision for the leader.

Jin Songming didn't seem to pay much attention to his answer either, nodding as if to say "I see," and said: "Hmm, that arrangement is very good."

He finished processing the document in his hand, took off his reading glasses, and only then did he truly look at Su Weide sitting opposite him.

The secretary used a thermos to refill the hot water in his teacup, but never poured tea for Su Weide, not even a cup of plain water.

"I heard Comrade Fuchun's report, saying that problems have appeared in your management work? Is that so?"

Jin Songming picked up his teacup, eyes lowered, and said: "Tell me, how did this come about."

Su Weide looked at the leader drinking tea opposite him, feeling unprecedented pressure; he was very clear that this nervousness stemmed from his own lack of confidence.

He was afraid, afraid that if he fell this time, he would never have the chance to stand up again, afraid that the foolish things he had done in the past would be made public, leaving him with nowhere to die.

He was also afraid, afraid of being schemed against by Zhou Wanquan, that the two men's plan wouldn't reach the final step, and he would become the other's stepping stone.

They say plans can't keep up with changes; when he designed the plan, he really hadn't anticipated so many changes.

Especially that damned Yu Zhe.

Who could have imagined it? Yu Zhe was actually able to get money and resources from the Sanhe Corporation, and was so slippery that he left no evidence behind.

Zhou Wanquan hadn't fooled him on this matter, nor had he stayed out of it; the Second Inspection Division had used every resource it could to investigate Yu Zhe.

And what was the result?

After a weekend of fermentation, by the time work started on Monday, the news had spread throughout the group's headquarters, and everyone knew about it.

Yu Zhe was personally escorted home by the Discipline Inspection Commission, and the relevant case officers personally went to Yu Zhe's home, his village, and his spouse's workplace to explain and offer apologies.

This mess was huge, and they had lost all face.

If an ordinary person were wronged, at most they would get a painless explanation in the Discipline Inspection office, with no apology at all.

But Yu Zhe was no ordinary person; one could even say he was a madman.

On Monday morning, Yu Zhe appeared swaggeringly in the group office building, loudly telling funny stories to colleagues who gathered around.

His laughter echoed from the lobby all the way to the motor pool downstairs, and his legend spread to the floors above as if it had taken an elevator from the basement motor pool office.

It didn't even take a morning for the entire group headquarters, including the group's other office buildings, to receive this news.

Offices are the best breeding grounds for gossip, and such explosive news, involving a controversial figure like Yu Zhe, naturally became the focus.

The more arrogant he was, the more it highlighted how big and how painful the stumble the Second Inspection Division had taken because of him.

If there had been even a single thread of evidence to use against him, the Second Inspection Division would not have let him go easily.

Even if it were for urinating in public—

Under these circumstances, Su Weide couldn't suspect Zhou Wanquan of intentionally "letting him off," as even he couldn't afford to lose face like this.

So, he didn't believe Yu Zhe was innocent, but there was no way around it; if facts were to speak, Yu Zhe was a good person now.

Bullshit!

Su Weide would bet his own head that everyone in the headquarters had heard of Yu Zhe's sordid affairs; who ever considered him a decent person?

Were those rumors Yu Zhe stirred up in Steel City really just misunderstandings?

There is no wall that doesn't let the wind through; as long as you've done it, someone will definitely know.

Yu Zhe had never denied those rumors; they were the capital he relied on to show off, the pride he felt, taking no shame but rather glory in them.

But those "big sisters" of his scandals denied them; Meng Niansheng personally questioned Zhang Meili, and the result was that the two were kindred spirits who had recognized each other as siblings.

Do you dare believe it?

When Meng Niansheng found Zhang Meili for a talk, Zhang Meili's spouse was even more certain of this "pure" relationship than Zhang Meili herself.

That's right, including Zhang Meili and her husband, all these big sisters Yu Zhe had contacted spoke in unison, saying he was a good younger brother.

Meng Niansheng was speechless; he didn't know how to reply to Deputy Director Zhou, let alone how to define these absurd affairs of Yu Zhe.

With Li Huai and Li Xuewu around, it was impossible, and not allowed, for forced confessions to occur during the case investigation.

Even the little tricks the Second Inspection Division used to interrogate Yu Zhe had left them exhausted, so how could he dare to risk his own skin?

So Su Weide cursed Yu Zhe countless times in secret; his precise layout had shifted because of this small pawn, this small character, Yu Zhe.

He would have liked to slow down and take a step back to reconsider, but he no longer had the time or the opportunity.

He could not withstand the counterattack from Li Huai, nor could he bear the opposition from Li Xuewu and Dong Wenxue.

At this moment, he only had one dead end left: to fight to the death, because he still had a powerful background connection.

This connection also allowed his nervous heart to relax a little, and he gained some confidence when he began to answer Jin Songming's questions.

Jin Songming gave him ample time to explain why he had abandoned handling this matter within the group and insisted on submitting it to the city.

He actually wanted to hear this, not the case itself; he was the person in charge of industry in the city, not the nanny for the Red Steel Group.

With so many factories and enterprises in Beijing Industry, did every unit that had such a dispute have to come to him to judge right from wrong?

Then he really wouldn't need to do anything else; he might as well split himself into eighteen pieces, never leave work, and be a referee from morning till night.

Su Weide knew exactly what he wanted to hear, but he still reported in detail the full story of the case and his judgment on the investigation results.

And when Jin Songming looked over, he then explained what had happened at the group management committee meeting last week.

He could subjectively determine the issues involved in the case, but he dared not have subjective judgments when introducing the meeting situation.

Su Weide knew that by the time he arrived, Deputy Director Jin must have already understood what had happened at that day's meeting.

Once he had subjective intent in his exposition of this part, the case and investigation results he had just stated would lose their authenticity.

He was very clever, anticipating the leader's anticipation, appearing very rational, but also expressing enough determination to explain why he had done so.

He felt a bit aggrieved, yet suppressed his grievance, showing his integrity.

Jin Songming saw all of his performance, but remained unmoved, instead picking up a document the secretary had long since placed on his desk.

Su Weide recognized it; it was the application he had submitted, with his signature on it, very clearly.

"Hmm, I understand roughly."

Jin Songming just flipped through it simply, without looking carefully, and when he looked up at him, he placed the material in his hand back on the desk.

"Comrade Weide, you should know that I have just taken over the industrial work in the city."

Seeing Su Weide nod, he continued: "Regarding this matter, I have inquired with Deputy Director Liu, who was previously in charge of industrial work, and Comrade Fuchun, who is responsible for your group, for their opinions on these two comrades."

The Comrade Fuchun he mentioned several times here was Zhao Fuchun, the head of the Beijing Industrial Bureau.

Because of the special nature of the Red Steel Group, the bureau head personally took charge of the liaison, which reflected the industrial system's attention to key enterprises.

Jin Songming pursed his lips, thought for a moment, then looked up at Su Weide: "I have already read the materials on Comrade Dong Wenxue; I didn't have much of an impression, until I read the materials on this Comrade Li Xuewu."

As he said these words, his hand pointed to the pile of documents on the edge of the desk, where several pieces of information were exactly what he had just mentioned.

Su Weide's brows twitched slightly; he naturally knew the background connections of Dong Wenxue and Li Xuewu, and feared he was about to encounter resistance.

However, Deputy Director Jin didn't say it that way, but looked at him somewhat bluntly: "One is a cadre who laid the foundation for the integrated development of light and heavy industry in the Red Steel Group, and the other is a young cadre who created an industrial miracle."

He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked: "Are you sure your investigation has sufficient evidence and necessity?"

"I am not denying your work."

Before Su Weide could explain, he raised his eyebrows and said: "Of course I support your work; organizational discipline can never be discounted."

"But, calling you over, I have to remind you, what this handling method implies, you should be clear, right?"

"I have already considered it carefully."

Su Weide said very seriously: "If there is a problem with the investigation results, then I am willing to bear the relevant responsibility."

How clever these words were; if there was a problem with the investigation results, he wasn't the direct person in charge of the investigation team, but the supervisor in charge.

He was willing to bear the relevant responsibility, but how much would truly fall on him?

When the time came to determine that Meng Niansheng had made an investigation error, he would only need to bear management responsibility, and in the eyes of his superiors, he would instead leave an impression of being upright and unyielding.

But he was wrong; Jin Songming would not ignore the harm of this kind of bypassing of authority because of his cleverness, and once again emphasized that his handling method was special.

"Comrade Fuchun wasn't sure, so he asked me for instructions."

Jin Songming leaned back in his chair and looked at him: "Of course I could require Comrade Fuchun to arrange personnel to guide and supervise your group."

"But, the premise is that your leadership team is already unable to handle this matter, or you yourself are certain that someone has seriously interfered with the investigation."

He tapped his fingers on the desk and asked: "Now tell me, which situation does your application verify?"

Su Weide's face had already changed several times, just as Jin Songming forced him into a corner with a clear question.

There was no way out of doing this; no matter how confused Jin Songming was, he would not allow him to play clever tricks here.

"I agree with all the situations you mentioned." Su Weide said frantically: "I hope to attract sufficient attention from the city."

"Of course." Jin Songming's eyelids drooped, and he nodded: "Red Steel Group, after all, is a star enterprise in the industrial system."

He sat up straight, picked up the phone, and said: "Help me get the Red Steel Group; I want to speak to Zhou Wanquan."

After speaking with the operator, he looked at Su Weide and said: "Go back; I know about this matter."

"Thank you, leader." Su Weide knew that the following conversation would not be something he would be allowed to hear, nor did he want to hear it.

He stubbornly believed that the city would only treat Zhou Wanquan as "one of their own," while he was an outsider.

This actually corroborated his guess and judgment; cooperating with Zhou Wanquan was entirely like seeking skin from a tiger, and sooner or later he would be sold out by the other party.

When he walked out of the office, he felt somewhat relieved; he hadn't expected to be called to the city, but since he was here, he would drag Zhou Wanquan down with him.

"What do you mean you're not convinced?"

Du Xian narrowed his left eye slightly, looking at Li Huai, who had come over in a huff to report his work, his tone very serious.

It was clear that Li Huai was indeed very angry; the two hairs left on his bald head were almost standing up.

But this was not the demeanor or style a group company leader should have, so Du Xian was also very dissatisfied.

He was dissatisfied with Li Huai on two points:

First, his attitude and methods in handling matters; second, as the team leader, he had failed to unite his comrades.

Based on these two points alone, he had sufficient reason not to give Li Huai a good look, or even to reprimand him for his incompetence.

Li Huai, however, was not afraid of this, frowning and saying: "Today he dares to report by bypassing authority, tomorrow he will dare to set up his own stove."

He raised his chin and said very angrily: "I insist on doing everything possible to use management means to handle all problems and disputes in work, but I firmly oppose this kind of irresponsible behavior."

"If the superiors feel that our work is insufficient, they can absolutely arrange for a working group to be stationed at the Red Steel Group to guide the work; I would be very welcome."

"Director Li, have some tea."

Du Xian's secretary had a different attitude toward Li Huai than Jin Songming's secretary had toward Su Weide, which was mainly reflected in the leader's attitude.

Li Huai rarely didn't say thank you, reaching out to move the teacup aside, looking straight into Du Xian's eyes and emphasizing: "I don't think my management has blocked the comrades' mouths; I have never stopped them from speaking at meetings."

"Investigations must have a basis, must follow procedures. If they insist on the investigation results and have opinions about me, they can absolutely report according to procedure. What are they doing now?"

His tone, which had just softened, became agitated again, his finger pointing at the table: "Aren't they afraid I'm shielding someone? Don't they want to poke a hole in the sky? Fine, I am now asking you for instructions; please have the ministry send down an investigation team."

"Just investigate this matter; it must be clarified!"

He was truly furious, his nostrils breathing like a bellows, and several times Du Xian wanted to speak but was blocked by him.

"Investigate! Investigate Dong Wenxue, investigate Li Xuewu, investigate me, Li Huai!"

"What are you getting so excited about—" Du Xian glared at him: "Who are you? You think you can just investigate whoever you want?"

He tilted his chin, gesturing toward the inside of the desk: "Or why don't you sit here, and I'll sit outside and listen to your commands."

Slap—

Du Xian tapped the desk lightly with his hand, frowning and reprimanding: "Are you going to let people speak or not? What did I say to you? Did I call you here?"

"Didn't you come here on your own initiative? If there's nothing wrong, why did you come?"

He pointed his finger at Li Huai: "Look at how old you are; are you treating work like children playing house?"

"You came to me to reason?"

"I just don't accept it—" Li Huai met his gaze: "Didn't the ministry receive their application? Investigate now—"

"Just because they received it, it has to be handled? Just because they received it, it has to be investigated?" Du Xian frowned: "Did you make that rule?"

"No one has ever dared to slap the table in front of me!"

He puffed a breath out of his nostrils, glared at Li Huai, and reprimanded: "If you're not convinced, go have a fight with them; do you know how to throw a punch or not?"

"You've all been spoiled—"

Du Xian also pushed the teacup aside, saying angrily: "I think you've all gone wild; you've made some achievements and don't know who you are anymore."

"You're all very tough, aren't you?"

He pointed his finger at the desk: "Do you want me to open a separate room for you in the ministry and invite all your team members to come over for a debate?"

"We've already had one." Li Huai said bluntly: "Doesn't it count as tearing off the masks and getting physical now?"

He glared: "He is in the city right now; maybe the investigation team has already gone to our group."

"If the ministry doesn't hurry, I estimate they've already started investigating."

"Let them investigate—" Du Xian twisted his brows: "Don't you want to get to the bottom of it? Isn't them sending people exactly what you want?"

"That won't do; I don't trust them."

Li Huai began to act unreasonably, no longer agitated, no longer shouting, just staring blankly: "Let's have a joint trial; call everyone who has authority over us, let's investigate together, we aren't afraid of being investigated."

He pointed to the phone on the table: "You don't need to scold me; you can call the city, I'm willing to have a grand joint investigation."

After finishing, he didn't wait for Du Xian's answer, standing up and leaving directly under the secretary's surprised gaze, as if he had lost his head in anger.

The secretary glanced at the leader, and seeing Director Du's gloomy face, quickly chased after him; no matter what, he had to see him off.

Li Xuewu only learned about what happened in Beijing from Zhang Enyuan after he arrived in Fengcheng and finished his meeting with Hu Ke.

However, he had already anticipated it, or rather, Li Huai had done it on purpose.

The conversation between the two after meeting in the morning was limited to Liu Bin's knowledge; no one else knew what they had talked about.

With Su Weide taking this step, Li Huai was destined to be beaten passively, so it was better to burn the bridges and bring the matter out into the open.

Li Xuewu told Old Li that the leader wouldn't blame him for this, because he wasn't the one who didn't follow the rules, and it wouldn't matter even if he were scolded.

If the Red Steel Group were still directly under the First Ministry of Machine-Building, the handling method today would have to be changed, but the Red Steel Group had another mother-in-law.

Now with two mothers-in-law in charge, the situation was very subtle.

And the method Li Xuewu discussed with Old Li was to use the unchanging to respond to all changes; since it was all out in the open, it was better to calmly accept everyone's questioning and scrutiny.

Li Huai did exactly that; after getting angry in Du Xian's office, he returned to the group and immediately instructed the General Manager's Office to issue an order that all issues related to the No. 4 furnace investigation would be directly handled by Deputy Director Su and Deputy Director Zhou, without needing to go through him anymore.

Zhou Wanquan was very hurt; he hadn't been as intense as Su Weide at the meeting, merely expressing his opinion.

Now the city determined he had directly participated in this matter, and with Li Huai acting this way, the First Ministry of Machine-Building would also determine he had directly participated in it.

He wanted to say he was wronged, and he didn't want to be directly responsible for this case; he had wanted Su Weide to stand in front.

Now it was fine; everyone had tied him and that idiot Su Weide together, so how could he maneuver?

This situation almost indicated that he stood on the opposite side of all the group's management, and together with Su Weide, denied the significance of the management's existence.

If discussions and votes lost their meaning, then what reason did others have to support their views and agree with their investigation?

Therefore, when he pushed Su Weide to choose to fight to the death, he had buried the seeds of disaster for himself.

Perhaps he hadn't expected that Li Huai would be so fierce, even sparing no cost to pull him to the front stage.

The key was that with Li Huai pulling in front and Su Weide pushing from behind, it made it look like he was plotting everything.

The phone call Deputy Director Jin made to him expressed this meaning, asking if he could complete the task assigned to him by the organization.

Why did he transfer from Beijing Industry to the Red Steel Group?

Deputy Director Jin was now questioning his actions, asking if the inspection work he was responsible for could complete the investigation of this matter at the group level.

What should he say now?

If he said yes, then what was Su Weide doing?

Wouldn't that be equivalent to selling Su Weide out?

If he said no, fine, he had to give an explanation: was his ability limited, or did the Red Steel Group really have such serious problems?

Did he dare say his ability was limited?

He could only say there were problems within the group.

But if he said that, he had to be psychologically prepared that after the investigation team arranged by Deputy Director Jin entered the group, they would really find problems.

Otherwise, it would mean he had serious problems.

The current situation was equivalent to Li Huai and Su Weide joining forces to expose him, and in a role that was ungrateful.

A villain role who hid behind Su Weide to play small tricks, lacking justice and courage, and only knowing how to scheme.

Truly stealing a chicken only to lose the rice!

How could he have imagined that Li Huai and Su Weide would reach some kind of tacit understanding, and the one sacrificed would be himself?

What made Zhou Wanquan nervous was that Li Huai's performance after returning was not as angry as reported by the ministry, but rather very calm.

After Li Huai pushed all issues related to the No. 4 furnace to the two of them, what did he go do?

The first phase of the Gezhouba project started, and he went to represent the Red Steel Group at the foundation-laying ceremony; the United Construction Corporation had obtained part of the project.

If he were truly angry, would he be in the mood to attend activities?

If he were truly angry, could he make such decisive decisions?

It seemed that he and Su Weide had won, actually scaring Li Xuewu away and forcing Li Huai to hand over the right to dispose of this case.

However, people from the city and the First Ministry of Machine-Building had come; they didn't say it was an investigation team, nor a supervision team, but they had come.

Since they could make the decisions on issues related to the case, the responsibility arising from this case would also be borne by them.

Now Li Huai had washed his hands of it, they had no reason to shirk responsibility, and the few people who came from the city and the First Ministry of Machine-Building also reminded them that it would be best to have sufficient evidence to determine that Dong Wenxue and Li Xuewu had problems.

Because according to what Su Weide reported, at this time, the two should have been suspended from work.

But, did Su Weide dare?

Li Xuewu was in Fengcheng discussing the group-oriented work of Beijing Chemical, involving a project of at least 17 million.

He would have liked to have Li Xuewu suspended for investigation, but the people from the city would not agree to him doing so.

Su Weide had succeeded, successfully obtaining full power over this case, but he had also put a shackle on himself.

The counterattack from Li Huai and Li Xuewu arrived as scheduled, and the continuous work achievements would refresh the leaders' understanding of them time and time again.

They insisted on high-efficiency business work even while facing investigation, continuously creating value and achievements for the organization.

And in the eyes of some, even if Su Weide had caught a few small tails and handles of theirs, the handling results wouldn't look very good.

Su Weide and Zhou Wanquan were conducting an investigation, while Li Huai and the others were creating real value; who won and who lost, the result was already clear.

"Is it really necessary to do this?"

Hu Ke looked at Li Xuewu before sending him to the car, nodded and said: "Forget it, no need to explain, I will definitely support you."

He appeared very loyal, sending Li Xuewu all the way to the car, and said through the lowered window: "Rest assured, this is Liaodong."

"Don't make it too complicated, otherwise I won't be able to clean it up."

Li Xuewu smiled and said: "If it weren't absolutely necessary, I wouldn't ask you for this favor."

Hu Ke was certainly loyal enough, but his loyalty came entirely from his judgment of the Red Steel Group's strength and his judgment of the influence of Li Xuewu, Li Huai, and the others.

Even Hu Ke, who was far away in Fengcheng, dared to place a bet, so you can imagine what Zhou Wanquan was nervous about.

On the second day after Li Xuewu arrived in Fengcheng, staff from the First Ministry of Machine-Building and the city arrived in Steel City by train.

They would directly participate in the investigation of the No. 4 furnace case, but waiting in Steel City to receive them and express full assistance was the Steel City Inspection Group.

When the news reached Beijing, Zhou Wanquan really wanted to clench his fist and give Su Weide a punch; this matter had absolutely gone off the rails and become huge.

At least for him, there was no way to clean it up; how it would play out would all depend on the expressions of Li Huai and Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu had wanted to return to Steel City overnight, but was stopped by Hu Ke.

When he returned to Beijing, it snowed; when he arrived in Fengcheng, it snowed in Fengcheng; had the cold air run the wrong way and blown north?

Actually, it wasn't like that; Beijing's cold air came directly down from Siberia along the grasslands, while the Northeast's cold air was self-contained.

Latitude determined that when it should be cold, the Northeast would definitely be cold, unlike Beijing, which waited for the cold wind from Siberia.

So sometimes the weather forecast was very strange; it would be snowing heavily in Beijing and Tianjin, while Fengcheng was basking in the sun.

Hu Ke considered the condition of the roads in this era and was worried that it would be dangerous for Li Xuewu to drive back at night, so he kept him for one night.

He had intended to invite Li Xuewu to dinner, but was refused by Li Xuewu; it seemed he wasn't in the mood to drink at this time.

At the Mechanical Plant's Tuanjie Hotel, Li Xuewu met with the Mechanical Plant's leadership team, which counted as a symposium, and listened to their reports.

The wind from Beijing naturally couldn't blow to Fengcheng, but the wind from the group had already blown to the Mechanical Plant, and Li Xuewu could see the complexity in these people's eyes.

It was just that he didn't bring up this topic, and these people naturally wouldn't ask for trouble; instead, influenced by his confidence and composure, they shook hands one by one when the meeting ended, their gazes becoming much firmer.

Li Xuewu could be called the anchor of the group's industry in Liaodong; once something happened to him, these people would also face the impact of turmoil in the group's management, and this impact could absolutely not be called good, only bad.

Zhang Enyuan booked a morning train ticket, just so as not to affect his work after arriving in Steel City, where people were still waiting.

Of course, not the investigation team; Li Huai could wash his hands of the problems and responsibility, and Li Xuewu had long since distanced himself.

It was President Nakamura of the Sanhe Corporation who had come.

"Mr. Li, sorry, disturbing you again."

Nakamura bowed slightly; this time the meeting was much more composed. Li Xuewu didn't hide the fatigue of his journey and said with a smile: "I said it before, as long as I am in Steel City, you are always welcome to visit."

"I'm so sorry—" Nakamura could see that he had just finished a business trip and returned to his post, with his luggage still being carried by his secretary.

"It's okay, let's talk in the office."

Li Xuewu patted his arm, let him into the room, and called Zhang Enyuan to make tea.

"I thought you would go to Beijing first to talk to President Gao."

Li Xuewu took off his overcoat, hung it up, and then looked at Nakamura standing in front of the sofa: "Sit, don't be polite."

"I came from Beijing, but I didn't meet with President Gao."

Nakamura explained: "I rushed to Steel City to see you as soon as I landed."

He must have heard that Li Xuewu was in Beijing, so he went to Beijing, but didn't expect to miss him, as Li Xuewu had gone to Fengcheng.

Nakamura didn't stay in Beijing and came directly to Steel City.

"It's okay, I talked to President Gao when I went back this time." Li Xuewu was wearing a white shirt and a dark wool vest, smiling as he explained: "She hopes to continue the negotiation work that hasn't been completed yet."

"Thank you very much for your help, and also thank you for President Gao's understanding."

Nakamura's purpose in returning this time was not Gao Yaqin, but Li Xuewu, so he was very clear.

"We are of course interested in carrying out cooperation negotiations with the Red Steel Group."

He pursed his lips and looked at Li Xuewu: "And this time I have brought enough sincerity; it will definitely satisfy your company."

"I believe that." Li Xuewu smiled slightly, raised his hand to signal Zhang Enyuan to bring the tea, and said: "Have some tea."

"Thank you." Nakamura bowed and nodded, then picked up the teacup and took a small sip, then praised: "Good tea."

"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled a few times, looked at him and said: "If Red Star Electronics' products could be as liked by people all over the world as tea, then our cooperation would truly achieve victory."

"There will be such a day in the future."

Nakamura also smiled; although he didn't want to admit that the Red Steel Group had already obtained the initiative in the cooperation, he had to face this fact.

"I have come this time to sincerely ask for your advice: if we follow your suggestion from last time, how many shares of your company would be appropriate for us to own?"

He gestured with his hands very rigorously and added: "On the basis of full understanding and trust, and without destroying the current cooperation policy."

"I understand what you mean." Li Xuewu nodded slowly and looked at him: "However, this needs to be discussed with President Gao."

He smiled and said: "My suggestion to you is: be willing to give."

Nakamura frowned secretly; what kind of scumbag answer was this?