Chapter 223: Successor

After Li Xuewu woke up and ate the rice porridge brought by Ding Bianji, he chatted with Ding Bianji for a while, let Xu Ning send Ding Bianji and the guard Xiao Hu away, and then leaned on the bed reading the book Gu Ning brought, *Jane Eyre*.

After sleeping all afternoon, he felt the strength in his body had recovered a bit. Before dinner, when Mu Hongyan and the nurse changed Li Xuewu's dressing, they found that Li Xuewu's physical fitness was very good. The wound was healing faster than a normal person's, and tender new flesh had already grown at the wound. It wasn't very strange, they just thought it was because Li Xuewu was young and had a good body.

Li Xuewu had a relatively vague understanding of his own body. His strength should be greater than a normal person's, which had to do with his naughtiness since childhood.

Just like the children in the countryside in the later generation who "flew over eaves and walked on walls," running around with big snot, they were all naughty but didn't get sick much. While the children in the city were rich in nutrition and lived in luxury, they were mostly obese and nearsighted. Let alone running, they would pant even if they walked fast.

It also had to do with his life-and-death training in the army, and more likely, it had to do with the physical changes brought about by that point in time.

Secondly, it was endurance. At first, Li Xuewu really didn't think his endurance was that good. Whether in his previous life or the later generation, he was just an ordinary player. In his previous life, he could never outrun Shen Guodong when chased and beaten by others, and in the later generation, he never participated in exercise, at most just taking walks.

The first time he discovered his endurance was good was when he was transferred back and carried Li Kezhang Liu of the neighborhood office to the Rolling Mill to find a job.

Good fellow, Li Xuewu only felt that he had to pedal hard when he got on the "Twenty-Eight" bicycle and carried someone, but he never expected that he didn't really use much effort when pedaling. He pedaled faster and faster, and he pedaled for more than ten minutes without sweating or panting at all.

Li Xuewu didn't have any thoughts at the time, just feeling that the quality of this body was really damn good, but it made the Li Kezhang Liu sitting behind him bump around enough.

The cigarette Li Kezhang Liu had in his mouth when he left the police station gate was basically not smoked for two puffs before it was all blown away by the wind. When he got off the car, he couldn't help but sigh, did he find the wrong job for Li Xuewu? If he went to the transport team to pedal a tricycle, wouldn't he be able to become a model worker?

Since then, Li Kezhang Liu never mentioned letting Li Xuewu touch his bicycle again when he went to the neighborhood office. Don't even think about it.

Damn it, he rode a bicycle at the speed of a motorcycle, and when he got home, the patterns on the tires were worn away.

Li Kezhang Liu still remembers the looks on the faces of those drivers and passengers when Li Xuewu carried him past horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, motorcycles, and finally cars.

So you're riding a bicycle!

That's not an airplane!

Are we affecting your takeoff?

Li Kezhang Liu had never enjoyed such a fast speed. He grabbed the rear seat crossbar tightly with both hands, really afraid that if they encountered a ditch or bump, Li Xuewu would ride the bike over, and he would be left in the air.

Seeing the "envious" looks of those people, Li Kezhang Liu couldn't help but shout in his heart that it was so damn embarrassing!

Embarrassing was one thing, but he also felt heartache. One was heartache for his bicycle, which he and his wife had saved for more than a year before gritting their teeth to buy, and hadn't ridden much yet. Now it was good, 9.9 percent new was directly turned into 6.6 percent new.

The other was heartache for himself. He had luckily experienced so many things and finally lived to be over forty years old. Who could have thought that in a peaceful and prosperous age, he almost capsized in the gutter this time, and if he had been sent away by this brat because he went out to handle an errand, it would have been a damn big loss.

The second time Li Xuewu discovered his endurance was good was in his own home in the back courtyard. That night, he seemed to have opened some hidden attribute, and Following Lou Jie was so tired she was like she had fallen into the water.

At the time, Li Xuewu thought it might be because of the "stimulation," but according to Following Lou Jie's feedback later, he was completely "donkey-like," and his endurance was really enough.

The other few times were in daily training with the Guard Team. He was really at a pace that could run them to death.

Why did the Guard Team particularly admire Li Xuewu? They were all eighteen or nineteen years old, at the age when their blood was boiling, and at the age when they judged high and low by their martial power. A leader who could fight and run, and was also decent to people—who wouldn't love him?

Li Xuewu hadn't discovered the other excellent qualities of this body yet, but this time he knew his body's recovery quality was good. It was only the third day, and there was an itchy feeling at the wound. Li Xuewu knew this was the wound growing new flesh and healing.

Of course, many people have this recovery ability. For example, if two people are stabbed by a knife, one stops bleeding quickly and heals in a day or two. Hey, the other bleeds for a long time, and the wound takes a week to heal.

Li Xuewu didn't understand the principles inside, but he knew that healing fast was a good thing. It was better than lying in a hospital bed for more than ten days. Now, the feeling of being served by others every day was really a bit... addictive.

"Thank you, Aunt, it's really delicious."

"Thank you, Aunt, the soup is really good."

"Xu Ning, water."

"Xu Ning, pee."

"Xu Ning, cut an apple."

"Xu Ning, open a can."

Li Xuewu had a wild monkey personality since he was a child, and there were many children in the family, so he had never received this kind of care. He was really afraid that he would get used to being served and develop dependency and a lazy personality.

Xu Ning's simple serving and running errands were fine, but this cutting apples and opening cans was really fun.

Both of them had one hand, and opening a can was Xu Ning turning the can upside down on the bed and knocking the bottom of the bottle with his fist, and then the two of them, one holding the bottle and the other twisting the lid.

One shouted, "Use some strength!" and the other shouted, "You hold it tight!"

This daily routine of the two playing the fool often made the nurses who came to the ward laugh out loud. Sometimes Li Xuewu would also tease Xu Ning.

"How about I get you hospitalized too? Looking at you, you're more seriously injured than me. Where's your strength? Use some strength!"

Sometimes Xu Ning felt wronged. When Li Xuewu didn't have energy, it was fine, but when he had energy, he had to make some trouble.

The canned food that was opened with great effort wasn't even eaten. It was either stuffed to himself or stuffed to the nurse who came to change the IV, which made the nurses fight to come and change Li Xuewu's medicine, and even if they didn't change the medicine, they would come to see him, measure his blood pressure, or measure his body temperature.

Xu Ning knew why Li Xuewu didn't just break the lid to open the can. It was nothing more than some young nurses wanting the empty can to hold things, and Li Xuewu was afraid of leaks.

"Li Kezhang, this canned food can't be given out anymore. I feel like something is going to happen."

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xu Ning looked outside the door and whispered, "Haven't you seen that tonight it was Dr. Mu who brought the nurse to come and brought the nurse to leave? Usually, the nurse came to give injections and change medicine by herself."

Li Xuewu looked at Xu Ning, not knowing what this brat had seen again.

"If you have something to say, say it. If you have a fart, let it out."

"I'm telling you, Xiao Hu and I saw Ding Bianji talking about Dr. Mu at the door. I don't know what they were saying, but it must have been about you giving the nurses canned food. The two of them even glanced at the nurse station a few times."

Li Xuewu said with a bitter smile, "Don't talk nonsense. What is Ding Bianji's status? Two cans of food, it shouldn't be that serious. Didn't I tell you to send the rest of the things in the corner to Dr. Mu?"

Xu Ning saw that Li Xuewu didn't understand his meaning and said anxiously, "Is that a matter of two cans of food? I'm dying of anxiety. Why don't you understand?"

"What two cans of food? How do you know I brought canned food?"

As the ward door was pushed open, Dong Wenxue's figure appeared at the door.

Behind him were Li Huai De and Yang Shuji, followed by several agency personnel from the Security Division, either carrying boxes or carrying bags, bringing all kinds of nutritional supplements.

"Put it here, put it here." Li Huai De saw a large pile of nutritional supplements in a corner of the ward, called the few people from the agency to put the things in their hands together, and then walked to Li Xuewu's hospital bed, sitting on the chair moved by Xu Ning.

"How is it? Are you better?" Li Huai De looked at Li Xuewu's complexion carefully and asked with concern.

Li Xuewu looked at the few people, and while calling Xu Ning to pour water, said, "A bit better. Now I can sit up for a while leaning on the pillow, but I have no strength in my body, and I can't lift either of my arms."

This made the few cadres who were prepared to shake hands with Li Xuewu somewhat embarrassed. Li Huai De and Yang Shuji were both honeycomb-coal-like in their minds. Whether Li Xuewu really had no strength to lift his arms was unknown, but the resentment for them not reaching out to help when Li Xuewu was removed from his post must be there.

This "not reaching out" didn't just mean not reaching out to shake hands with them, but also not reaching out on the case hosted by Ji Weidong.

This wasn't just not reaching out to shake hands with them, but also not reaching out on the case hosted by Ji Weidong.

Yang Shuji sat on the other side of Li Xuewu and looked at Li Xuewu with a smile, "I came to see you in the afternoon, but I didn't expect you hadn't woken up yet, so I could only go back. It just so happened that your Dong Chuzhang said he was coming to see you, so I followed."

Li Xuewu thanked Yang Shuji with a smile, "Thank you for the organization's concern, I really didn't know you came."

Yang Shuji waved his hand and said, "I know, I know, I understand. You lost so much blood, we were all celebrating that you picked up a life. Fortunately, the lucky person has his own heaven, otherwise, the Rolling Mill would have lost an important cadre."

Li Xuewu looked at Dong Wenxue and said, "I am a brick of socialism, move wherever needed. If the organization lets me guard the gate, I will guard the gate well, and I will definitely not lose face for the organization."

Li Huai De narrowed his eyes and smiled, "The mentality is still good, but don't have resentment. The organization also has comprehensive considerations. Everyone makes mistakes. Who can guarantee they won't make mistakes? We must also give people a chance to correct their mistakes."

Li Huai De's words looked like he was lecturing Li Xuewu, but in fact, he was trying to persuade Li Xuewu in reverse, saying that Factory Director Yang had made a mistake, and now the meaning was to let Li Xuewu raise his hand and let Factory Director Yang go.

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "Yes, the organization didn't completely abandon me at the time, and didn't remove my cadre status, just let me guard the gate as a security cadre."

Yang Shuji was here on behalf of Factory Director Yang, and he didn't come along for the ride as he said. Instead, he blocked Deputy Factory Director Li's door after returning to the factory and talked for a long time, which made Deputy Factory Director Li call Dong Wenxue to arrange this trip.

Now Li Xuewu had made a request, and Deputy Factory Director Li wouldn't come forward. Now it depended on how Yang Shuji replied to Li Xuewu.

"Xuewu, the decision of the committee meeting is not someone's decision, but a summary of everyone's opinions. Now that things have happened, you also have to give the committee some time. Anyway, you're still young, and there are plenty of opportunities."

After Yang Shuji finished speaking, he also cast his gaze at Li Xuewu, wanting to see what Li Xuewu's attitude was.

Deputy Factory Director Li frowned slightly when he heard Yang Shuji's opinion, turned his head, and whispered something to Dong Wenxue.

Li Xuewu looked at Yang Shuji and said, "I obey the organization's arrangements."

Yang Shuji looked at Li Xuewu's flat expression and really couldn't tell whether it was the truth or a lie.

"Then the Investigation Department side, you..."

Li Xuewu frowned and said, "What's wrong with the Investigation Department? Oh, Yang Shuji, I was just about to tell you about this. That Ji Weidong of the Investigation Department is really unreasonable. He called me over to inquire about the case, but he put me under house arrest, saying there was discipline, not allowing me to return to the factory or home. He kept me for several days, and this time he only released me after the case was broken. You must make the decision for me."

Yang Shuji leaned back, narrowed his eyes, and cursed in his heart: "Damn brat, don't be unconscionable when you speak. The people who followed to handle the case came back and said you and Ji Weidong were so close you were almost wearing the same pair of pants. You were sending guns and overcoats, and I heard you were even sending a wife. I've never seen such house arrest."

Alright, now there was no need to look at Li Xuewu's expression to guess whether what he said was true or false. Not to mention that his expression was completely unreadable, just these words—he was a cactus, full of thorns everywhere. It seemed Old Yang couldn't end well this time.

"Hahaha, Xuewu, we are asking people to handle the case, so of course we have to cooperate. I know you've been wronged. Isn't this your section chief, division chief, and factory director all here to see you? This is the organization's concern and love for you."

Xu Ning didn't say anything. What else could he say? He was being ordered around by Li Xuewu like a ball, and he didn't even know who was whose leader.

Li Xuewu frowned and pretended to be in pain, lifting his arm with some discomfort, his eyelids feeling a bit heavy.

As soon as Xu Ning saw the section chief give the signal, he knew exactly what to do; he took off running toward the nurse's station and soon led a nurse back into the room.

That young nurse had received favors from Li Xuewu and had gotten along very well with both him and Xu Ning. Most importantly, she could tell that Li Xuewu was someone with connections, so she was willing to play along with their act.

As soon as the young nurse entered and saw the room full of people, she frowned. She pushed Yang Shuji aside with a blood pressure monitor to check Li Xuewu's pressure, took a look at his eyes, and then, frowning at Xu Ning, launched into a harsh, head-on scolding.

"Didn't I tell you not to let so many people in? Why can't you remember? The patient is suffering from severe blood loss and is in desperate need of fresh air. How can there be any fresh air with this room full of people?"

Well, this young nurse had a sharp tongue; she gave Xu Ning a real dressing-down, and while she was scolding him, she was effectively slapping everyone in the room in the face.

Deputy Factory Director Li waved his hands at the few people from the administration and said, "Out, get out!"

Seeing Xu Ning give her a wink, the young nurse said, "The patient hasn't recovered his strength yet and shouldn't be receiving guests. Whatever you have to say, say it quickly; the patient needs to rest."

Xu Ning chimed in, "Comrade, our section chief has been asleep for several days now. Could it be that he'll be asleep for several more days this time?"

The young nurse glared at them and said, "He's just regained a bit of energy, and there's not even enough blood supply to his heart. You come here to disturb him—sleeping for several days is perfectly normal."

Hearing the young nurse finish speaking, Li Xuewu cooperated very well by closing his eyes.

Yang Shuji looked at the young nurse with the furrowed brows in the ward, the tight-lipped Li Huai De, and the silent Dong Wenxue. He could only sigh and say, "Xuewu, you must get better quickly. The Security Section can't do without you; this burden still needs to be carried by you."

Seeing that Li Xuewu was still holding his arm and not speaking, Yang Shuji looked at the young nurse who was preparing to shoo them away and said, "Factory Director Yang also regrets his actions and made a wrong decision. He is already prepared to propose correcting this error at the next leadership meeting and will issue an announcement at the same time."

Yang Shuji had assumed that after saying this, Li Xuewu would at least make a statement. Hey, it was even worse than before; Li Xuewu was now in so much pain that he had started gasping for air in large gulps.

Good grief, the young nurse had already run out to call the doctor. As long as the doctor came, everyone in the room would have to leave. There would be no more opportunities to communicate with Li Xuewu, and it would be difficult to see him again—who knew when that "door god" would show up next.

"Cough, cough."

Deputy Factory Director Li coughed twice on the side and said to Dong Wenxue, "Wenxue, Old Fu is already at retirement age, and this time he is also under investigation. The burden of the Security Division will ultimately have to be carried by you. Especially, you must learn from this lesson and maintain the purity and independence of security work. This is a red line. You should also cultivate more reserve cadres."

After finishing, he turned to Yang Shuji and asked, "What do you think, Yang Shuji?"

Yang Shuji looked at Li Xuewu and then at Dong Wenxue, saying, "I agree with your opinion. Security work is not only our factory's first line of defense but also an important guarantee for supporting production. In the future, no administrative department is allowed to interfere with security work. This must be taken to a meeting for a vote, and it must be implemented."

After saying this, he looked at Li Xuewu and said, "I have said before that the use of young cadres must be handled with caution, and even more so, they must be cherished. We must let them charge to the front, play an exemplary and leading role, and act as a vanguard. We must both spur them on and cherish them. Our work regarding this incident was not done well enough."

After these words were spoken, Li Xuewu's expression relaxed a bit, as if his pain had lessened, which was seen by everyone in the ward.

Deputy Factory Director Li nodded and said, "I have responsibility for this matter. Next, we need to reorganize the team and cultivate cadres, especially those like Li Xuewu who dare to fight and struggle. They can absolutely be placed in higher positions for training. With the care of an elder like you and the guidance of a master like Wenxue, why worry about not being able to cultivate our own Security Division-level cadres for the Rolling Steel Mill? Don't you agree?"

"Oh my, I'm sorry, leaders. You see, this arm is also aching in waves. When it hurts, I really have no strength at all. But listening to your encouraging words, I feel both moved and under great pressure."

Yang Shuji looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "How is it? Are you feeling better?"

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "It comes in waves. Thank you for your concern, leader. I'm much better."

Seeing the doctor at the door, Deputy Factory Director Li stood up and said, "You must take good care of your injuries and return to your work post as soon as possible. There is still a lot of work in the factory that needs you to do."

"Additionally, my suggestion is that you just need to keep a count of things regarding Huang Ping. It's unnecessary, right? As for Old Xu in the office, he said it himself that he is your sworn brother, so we won't interfere. As for Old Fu, let him handle it himself; the older he gets, the more muddled he becomes. He deserves it."

Seeing that they were about to leave, Yang Shuji spoke up, "Huang Ping is on the list for the meeting along with your proposal for reinstatement—dismissal and expulsion. This is what Factory Director Yang said himself. As for Old Xu, you are the involved party. Factory Director Yang is looking at your attitude. It's not like there's no one else in the factory who can be the Factory Office Director, right?"

"As for Fu Bin, people get muddled when they get old. Let's just take this opportunity for Deputy Dong Chuzhang to directly manage the Security Division and let Fu Bin coast until retirement. It's not like he has more than two months left anyway."

Li Xuewu saw that both Yang Shuji and Deputy Factory Director Li were looking at him, so he frowned slightly and said, "To be honest, my relationship with Ji Weidong is really just average. We just say a few words, and more often than not, we're bickering. You might have heard that we even had a fight in the office. Now, I can only find an opportunity to convey your opinions to him. Whether he listens or not is not something I can control."

Yang Shuji knew that this was Li Xuewu indicating he was ready to open up and negotiate terms, so he nodded and said, "This matter still needs more attention. What do you think, Deputy Dong Chuzhang?"

Yang Shuji represented Factory Director Yang, and he also knew that coming here today to plead for mercy was, first, to seek Li Xuewu's attitude, and second, to seek Dong Wenxue's conditions.

Dong Wenxue seemed very easy to talk to. He nodded at Yang Shuji and then said to Li Xuewu, "Since both leaders have put it this way, you should contact Ji Weidong as you see fit. It's all internal factory business. Your injury this time was also work-related, and both the factory and the division owe you an explanation."

Before Li Xuewu could speak, Mu Hongyan walked in from the door and said, "Alright, the patient needs a physical examination. You all should leave."

Until the three of them left the ward, they hadn't received a definitive answer from Li Xuewu. Yang Shuji looked at Li Huai De with some difficulty, while Li Huai De looked at Dong Wenxue and left first.

Dong Wenxue remained the same, politely escorting Yang Shuji downstairs.

This master and apprentice had already agreed on the signal; if the meat wasn't in their mouths, they couldn't let go.

A leader's promise? Heh.

In the ward, Mu Hongyan looked at the pile of things in the corner and then at the "recovered" Li Xuewu, saying, "Reporting false military intelligence is punishable by death."

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Dr. Mu, it's not false intelligence. I wanted to ask you to help me send some things to the medical staff who participated in my rescue. Look, everything is prepared."

Mu Hongyan looked at Li Xuewu and then at the nurse beside him, saying, "Then I won't be polite." Thinking of what her mother-in-law had said to her in the hallway, she felt that Li Xuewu was very good at handling people.

"Everyone in our department likes to eat fruit, and the nurses at the station like canned goods. I'll take these for now. If they want more later, I'll come back to get them."

Mu Hongyan didn't take too much; she left carrying some fruit and canned goods. Before leaving, those words were meant for the nurses around her.

That nurse was also sharp; she had already understood Dr. Mu's meaning. Thinking of Dr. Gu next door, how could she not know who this person with the injured arm belonged to?

From the fact that Dr. Gu's mother, who came every day, often came here to deliver food, one could see what was going on. Back at the nurse's station, there was another round of chattering.

After seeing them off, Xu Ning sat in front of Li Xuewu's bed and said, "Li Kezhang, Yang Shuji came this afternoon and carefully inquired about your relationship with Ji Weidong, and also asked about the identity of the guards at the door. What about tonight?"

Li Xuewu flipped through the pages of the book in his hand and said, "He's anxious, that's all. Old Yang must have found a way through, and now that things are fine above, he's afraid of trouble below."

Xu Ning asked in confusion, "Then your attitude toward Yang Shuji..."

"It's fine. Yang Shuji himself knows what's going on. Right now, we are testing each other's bottom lines, just looking for a position of compromise. Yang Shuji didn't come for himself, but as a representative of Factory Director Yang. What I said was addressed to the organization, and not a single word was addressed to Yang Shuji. This is called 'addressing the matter, not the person'."

Xu Ning nodded to show he understood, then asked, "Then what does Deputy Factory Director Li mean?"

Li Xuewu discovered that the book Gu Ning had sent actually contained a diary. Looking at the elegant handwriting, he felt an unexpected sense of peeking into someone's inner world.

"What bad intentions could Old Li have? It's nothing more than the water clearing up, and he wants to come down and get involved."

"Heh, he really is. He even hid away before."

Li Xuewu said indifferently, "Normal. Seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages is human instinct. In the political ecosystem, this is also a way to protect oneself. Being careful and cautious, and being in a high position, allows one to avoid many risks."

Xu Ning didn't quite understand the ins and outs yet, but since Li Xuewu had said so, the section chief must have had psychological preparation and a comprehensive consideration.

"Deputy Factory Director Li is quite smooth. He hasn't invited fewer people to dinner with the meat you sent him."

Li Xuewu flipped through Gu Ning's diary in the book while "training" Xu Ning.

"Old Li isn't scary. Don't look at the fact that he came today; it's the same as if he hadn't. Dong Chuzhang's meaning is that no matter how this matter is handled, it won't bypass him. Giving him a benefit for nothing means he is now squaring off against Old Yang. Dong Chuzhang, on the other hand, can withdraw and stabilize himself."

"What's scary is Old Yang. He's been the top leader for so many years, and how old is he? The last theft case, this infiltration case—do you see any sign of him wanting to step down? Ji Weidong dares to move against Fu Bin and Xu Sinyan, but do you see him daring to move against Old Yang?"

"A biting dog doesn't bark. Old Yang has been the anchor of the factory for so many years. There's nothing wrong with him personally; at work, it's nothing more than management negligence. Just watch, Old Yang will still be able to get through this smoothly. It's nothing more than giving up some things. A top leader cannot be moved easily."

"Your position isn't high enough yet, so you can't see the ins and outs. Actually, it's nothing. Once you clear away the fog, it's as ridiculous as children fighting."

Xu Ning chuckled, "I can't see it clearly, but as long as you can, that's enough. I'll just follow behind you, and I won't get lost."

Li Xuewu chuckled and didn't say anything. Li Xuewu was even better at flattery than Xu Ning.

Xu Ning thought for a moment and said, "Regarding the school, the person who came today might really have been your sister-in-law. How I handled it, what do you think?"

Li Xuewu took a sip of water and picked up the book again, saying, "It's fine. Everything was already settled at home. Perhaps their school is up to some tricks, wanting to use my brother and sister-in-law to get to me."

"Then if you don't handle it, will it affect them?"

Li Xuewu knew that Xu Ning was using the question to learn the ways of handling things here. He was willing to learn, and Li Xuewu had nothing to hide.

"Still the same saying: everyone is testing each other's bottom line, wanting to find a position of compromise. My cards are strong enough, so I dare to challenge them. They wouldn't dare bare their fangs at me."

Xu Ning chuckled, "That kick was solid. They were on their knees for a long time and couldn't get up."

Li Xuewu indifferently put down the book and rubbed his eyes, preparing to lie down and continue sleeping.

"You can stand up after kneeling, but if you kneel for too long, you won't be able to stand up."

Seeing that Li Xuewu wanted to sleep, Xu Ning, although not understanding the meaning of Li Xuewu's words, didn't dare to disturb him. He turned around, went out for a cigarette, and came back to sleep.

Li Xuewu's happy time in the hospital passed quickly. Every day he ate until full and slept, slept until full and ate. He ate the tonics that Gu Ning's mother made with changing varieties, fearing that Li Xuewu would get tired of them, so she kept changing the flavors.

It must be said that Ding Bianji's craftsmanship was truly excellent. Li Xuewu hadn't been idle since returning from the military, running around every day. This hospitalization, however, had actually put some meat on his cheeks.

"Alright, alright, I'll pack up myself. You take the rest of the things in the corner to Dr. Mu."

Li Xuewu pointed to the things in the corner and instructed Xu Ning, while he packed his own things.

Today was Li Xuewu's 7th day in the hospital. Normally, a penetrating wound takes 2-4 weeks to heal. Li Xuewu's injury was a pistol wound, which is much less powerful than a rifle, and secondly, it didn't damage the bone. Coupled with Li Xuewu's relatively good recovery ability, after a week in the hospital, the wound had already healed.

Li Xuewu's leather jacket had been hanging in the ward. The left arm had a hole in it, full of blood scabs, and it couldn't be worn without a good wash. It had been taken away by Ding Bianji when she saw it. Fortunately, Li Xuewu had asked Xu Ning to go home and bring him some clothes.

He put on his shirt, strapped the holster to his body, and picked up the pistol that had been on the bed to look at it. The engraved gun body, the ivory-colored grip panels, and a flower carved on the panels—seeing this gun reminded him of the person he had killed, and subsequently, it reminded him of the person who made his heart ache.

"Are you packed? I'm here to see you off."

Li Xuewu turned his head to see Gu Ning standing at the door. He tucked the gun into the holster, buckled it, put on his cotton-padded jacket, and finally put on the wool coat Ji Weidong had given him.

"Packed. Did you receive the things I asked Xu Ning to send you?"

Gu Ning had been discharged two days earlier than Li Xuewu. It hadn't been a big deal, but Mu Hongyan had insisted she stay for a few days, which counted as a lazy rest. Seeing her comrades busy while she slept in the ward, she felt too embarrassed, so she was discharged and went to work.

"Saw them, a huge pile. Why didn't you take them home?"

Li Xuewu stuffed the things he had used over the past few days into his bag, lifted it, and shook it. It was very light because most of the things had been given away.

"I didn't dare tell my family about my injury this time. If I brought such a huge pile of things back, I wouldn't be able to explain it. Keep them for yourselves to eat. Besides this little bit of gratitude, I have no other way to say thank you."

Gu Ning smiled and said, "You'll have to tell my sister-in-law that. I didn't help you at all."

Li Xuewu picked up the copy of *Jane Eyre* that had been on the bed and handed it to Gu Ning, saying, "Thank you for the book. I read it, and Rochester is indeed like me—kind-hearted, upright, and resolute."

"Haha." Gu Ning took the book from Li Xuewu's hand, laughing at Li Xuewu's self-praise.

Xu Ning stood at the door and looked at Li Xuewu, saying, "Li Kezhang, I've handed the things to Dr. Mu. The car is already downstairs."

Li Xuewu handed the bag to Xu Ning, then said to Gu Ning, who was standing by the door, "I won't say words of thanks. In a few days, I'll ask my teacher to visit Division Chief Gu and Aunt Ding at your home."

Gu Ning didn't say anything, just nodded at Li Xuewu while holding the book.

Li Xuewu also nodded at Gu Ning and then led Xu Ning downstairs.

The factory knew he was being discharged today, so they had specially arranged a jeep to pick him up. He would first go to the Rolling Steel Mill to report in, and then go home to rest for a day.

On the way, Xu Ning reported the situation at the Rolling Steel Mill to Li Xuewu. First was the Security Section: according to procedure, the Rolling Steel Mill's leadership meeting had revoked the dismissal announcement for Li Xuewu, and Li Xuewu was restored to his original position.

Similarly, Han Yating's dismissal report was also revoked, and she was restored to her original position.

Next was the Security Division. Fu Bin's connections were still strong, and his own historical contributions were also there. After going through the motions with Ji Weidong, the factory considered that he was about to retire, so they handled it by having him step back to the second line, while still remaining the Security Division Chief.

The work of the Security Division would be fully managed by Dong Wenxue. This was Dong Wenxue's opportunity, and also a test for him. Now, he was the only one managing the Security Division. He had the power of the "single pen," but also the responsibility of the "single pen."

Finally, there was Office Director Xu Sinyan. Li Xuewu had never considered putting Xu Sinyan to death. Even if the Office Director position became vacant, it wouldn't be his, and it certainly wouldn't be Dong Wenxue's. This position would definitely be for one of Factory Director Yang's people. This was the factory's reserved territory, a rule that even Deputy Factory Director Li wouldn't dare to break.

Since he couldn't gain any benefits, Li Xuewu wouldn't do something that let others gain an advantage just to vent his anger. He had made it very clear in his phone call to Ji Weidong: just scare them a little.

If he dealt with Xu Sinyan, it wouldn't look good for Factory Director Yang, and Li Huai De would think he was petty and lacked the capacity to tolerate others, and other cadres wouldn't approach him anymore.

Li Xuewu was a security cadre, and his identity was ultimately that of a cadre. Being in a political ecosystem, he couldn't just let his temper run wild; he still had to survive within this rule system. Therefore, he was particularly magnanimous in his handling of Xu Sinyan.

A major reason why Factory Director Yang could so readily restore Li Xuewu's position and decide on Dong Wenxue as his successor was Li Xuewu's performance in this regard.

Li Xuewu took a step back and made a compromise, so Factory Director Yang had to retreat even more; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to survive in this ecosystem.

Factory Director Yang's performance of retreating more than Li Xuewu was that his brother-in-law, Huang Ping, was kicked out of the Rolling Steel Mill and directly dismissed.

A dismissal at this time was not as simple as it would be in later generations. It wasn't quite "the sky falling," but it was close.

Li Xuewu naturally wouldn't bother with a small fry like Huang Ping. Dealing with such a person would be beneath him. Huang Ping and Wang Jindong were not the same thing; taking down Wang Jindong was called "eliminating evil," while taking down Huang Ping was called "stepping on dog shit."

The jeep arrived at the factory gate and slowly stopped, waiting for the guard to open the gate.

As it happened, Yan Jiecheng was on duty today. Seeing the factory's jeep approaching, he knew that only factory leaders would sit in such a small car. He hurriedly put on a smiling face, nodded, and bowed as he opened the gate, but when he saw Li Xuewu sitting in the back seat, the smile on his face instantly froze.

The jeep drove forward a few meters and stopped again. Li Xuewu opened the car window and waved at Han Zhan, who was on duty in the guard room.

Seeing that it was Li Xuewu calling him, Han Zhan hurriedly ran out.

"Li Kezhang, you're back!"

Li Xuewu nodded in the car, squinted his eyes to look at Han Zhan, and pointed at Yan Jiecheng, who was standing at the gate looking over with trepidation. "How do you lead your men? This is my Security Section, not a teahouse in Dashilan. Why the hell are you giving me a smiling welcome? Do you want me to transfer you to logistics to lead the servers?"

Han Zhan saluted with a stern face, "Yes, immediate rectification."

Li Xuewu pointed his finger at Han Zhan and said, "Tell the comrades, whoever bends their waist while on duty again, get the hell out to the labor protection factory. You can bend your waist all day while operating a sewing machine. Damn it."

After cursing, he closed the car window and told the driver to drive.

Watching Li Xuewu's car drive toward the factory office building area, Han Zhan looked at Yan Jiecheng with gloomy eyes. He didn't think much of this big guy at all. He had a good body, but he was timid, afraid of trouble, lacked responsibility, and was full of empty tricks. He didn't know why the section chief had brought such a piece of work in.

Li Xuewu scolding Han Zhan wasn't to deal with Yan Jiecheng; it was because he saw that the guard post had started to slack off while he was away, which was why he lost his temper.

The jeep drove directly downstairs. Li Xuewu told Xu Ning to go to work, while he went up to the third floor to report to Dong Wenxue.

When he knocked on the door and entered, Dong Wenxue was signing documents for the factory office secretary. This secretary was the one who had come last time. As soon as he saw Li Xuewu, he winked and smiled, "Li Ke is back? Congratulations, congratulations."

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Li Ke being back isn't something everyone feels is worth congratulating. At the very least, your Director Xu wouldn't feel that way."

Secretary Sun shook his head and said, "You're wrong about that. The car that went to pick you up was approved by our director. I'm the contact for our Security Division, and our director has repeatedly urged me in private to serve our Security Division well, especially to maintain a good relationship, saying that his sworn brother is the section chief of the Security Section."

Li Xuewu secretly thought, "Damn." This Xu Sinyan could really spin a yarn. He and Old Biao and the others had never sworn brotherhood, because Old Biao and the others knew that he didn't believe in that set at all. If he didn't even believe in himself, how could he believe in that bowl of blood wine?

"Heh, your Director Xu is a division-level cadre, and I'm just a section-level cadre who is teetering on the edge. How could I climb so high?"

"Brother, what are you saying? When has your old brother ever been distant with you? I never said anything about division-level or section-level. You can't slander people."

Li Xuewu turned around and saw Xu Sinyan entering from the door. While speaking, he walked to Li Xuewu's side, grabbed his arm, and looked at it, as if he were truly concerned like a brother.

"Director Xu, you have ears that hear the wind. I just mentioned you, and you heard it."

Xu Sinyan didn't care about Li Xuewu's sarcasm. When it's time to soften up, you have to soften up. They were all in the officialdom; saying soft words wasn't shameful.

"Not just ears that hear the wind. I've been looking forward to your recovery and return like someone with eyes that see a thousand miles. I saw you coming out of the hospital from far away, so I waited upstairs. Knowing you were coming to report to Dong Chuzhang, I hurried over to see you, brother."

Li Xuewu would still have to deal with Xu Sinyan in the future, so naturally, he wouldn't step on him in front of his subordinates. Leave a line of retreat, and it will be easier to meet in the future.

"Damn it, forget it. If you could really see to the hospital, you should have known that I cursed you when I left."

Xu Sinyan waved his hand, pulled Li Xuewu to sit on the sofa, and said, "I know you, brother. You are the most kind-hearted and upright. We brothers are the most compatible; otherwise, we wouldn't get along so well."

Ever since his director entered the room, Secretary Sun had been bowing his head waiting for Dong Wenxue's instructions. Listening to Li Xuewu and his director trading barbs, he didn't dare to look, didn't dare to listen, and certainly didn't dare to show any expression. However, he was very envious and admired Li Xuewu.

What is called "only when the sea is turbulent does the true hero show his colors," and "when the wind is high and the waves are urgent, the pillar in the middle of the stream is seen"—Li Xuewu was exactly that now.

This time, the Rolling Steel Mill had been stirred into a huge, turbulent wave by Li Xuewu, the big fish. In the end, Li Xuewu, the section chief, was still the section chief, but he was no longer just a section chief. Anyone could see the difference.

In the past, no matter how much Xu Sinyan lowered himself to befriend Li Xuewu, he would never have taken the initiative to talk to him, let alone let Li Xuewu mock him without turning hostile. What Secretary Sun was seeing and hearing now was the change in Li Xuewu since he returned.

Now, who in the administration, or even the whole factory, didn't know that Li Xuewu was about to soar into the sky? From now on, no one would dare to bark or bare their fangs at Li Xuewu. A case that made the factory director bow his head—who would dare to challenge Li Xuewu?

"Good grief, I say Director Xu, how much sugar did you eat when you went out? These words sound too pleasant to the ear."

Xu Sinyan patted Li Xuewu's thigh and said, "We brothers don't hide anything. If you're good, I'll say you're good. If you have shortcomings, I'll still point them out. I was kind-hearted when I was in my office last time; you know that. I didn't know you were handling a case."

Dong Wenxue handed the approved documents to Secretary Sun and took the opportunity to stare at Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I know Director Xu takes care of me. I don't treat you as an outsider, do I?"

Seeing Li Xuewu soften his stance, Xu Sinyan nodded, "Exactly. We brothers should get along well in the future. How about this? I'll arrange something tonight?"

Li Xuewu lit a cigarette for Xu Sinyan and helped him light it, then lit one for himself, saying, "It's not that I don't give you face, brother. I've been out for almost ten days. If I don't go home, our old man will be jumping up and down."

Xu Sinyan nodded, "That makes sense. You've been out for too long this time. You should go home and see your family. Then we'll make another appointment when you have time. I must treat you."

Li Xuewu flicked the ash into the ashtray and said, "Don't be so distant. Some things should just be let go. Constantly dwelling on them affects our brotherhood."

Xu Sinyan patted Li Xuewu with some emotion and didn't say anything. Seeing Secretary Sun ready to leave, he stood up and said, "I won't delay your report to Dong Chuzhang. You have to go home in a while. We'll talk again when you come to work tomorrow."

As he spoke, he greeted Dong Wenxue and left with Secretary Sun.

Li Xuewu smoked his cigarette and watched Xu Sinyan leave before standing up and sitting down opposite Dong Wenxue's desk.

"How's the injury?" Dong Wenxue had a lot of work. Seeing Li Xuewu sit down, he looked up and asked.

Li Xuewu reached out and flipped through the documents in front of Dong Wenxue, saying, "It's just a hole; what could happen? Why are there so many documents? Is Old Fu on strike? Or is he deliberately causing you trouble?"

Dong Wenxue didn't bother with Li Xuewu looking through the documents, but said, "I heard you were very happy in the hospital. A blessing in disguise?"

Li Xuewu put the documents back and said, "What blessing? Don't listen to rumors. It's not what you think."

Dong Wenxue said without looking up, "One doesn't know they are in a blessing when they are in it. Don't wait until you've missed it to know how to cherish it."

Li Xuewu was silent for a long time after hearing his teacher's words, then said, "I got a shotgun, a vertical double-barreled one. I don't recognize the brand, but the material and workmanship are absolutely top-notch. When you have time, let's go see Division Chief Gu and Aunt Ding together. If you receive kindness, don't forget it in your heart."

Dong Wenxue looked up at Li Xuewu and said, "That's right. It's not shameful to please your father-in-law and mother-in-law. But I say, can you stop with the guns? You can't just give people what you like. What? I heard you gave Gu Ning a small pistol last time?"

Li Xuewu looked at the pile of documents in front of Dong Wenxue speechlessly and said, "Teacher, I see you're still not busy enough if you have the leisure to inquire about my personal business."

Dong Wenxue closed the documents in front of him and said, "You might have heard that Division Chief Fu has stepped back to the second line. The work of the Security Division is all pressing on me alone. Many things that weren't handled before are now coming to me. I have the body of a deputy division chief but the heart of a division chief."

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Aren't these things a piece of cake in your hands, teacher? It's deputy division chief now, but it won't be in a few days."

Dong Wenxue pointed at Li Xuewu and said, "As long as it's still that way for one day, you have to keep your tail tucked in. I'll give you one day off since you just got out of the hospital. Starting tomorrow, reorganize the Security Section. Kick out who needs to be kicked out, and replace who needs to be replaced. Don't let another Liu Fusheng appear. At the same time, take over the Firefighting Section's affairs. In the future, you need to pay attention to action management. Be prepared to take over my position at any time."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "The Security Section is no problem, but the Firefighting Section—can I really take it?"

Dong Wenxue looked at Li Xuewu and said, "Man proposes, God disposes. If you don't try, how do you know you can't? Don't tell me you really lost your fighting spirit in the hospital."

Li Xuewu said sternly, "Yes, please rest assured, teacher. If you are too busy, we can go next week."

Dong Wenxue waved his hand, "Work is definitely busy, but no matter how busy, a student's lifelong event must be handled. Let's make it this Sunday. We'll go to the Gu family, and I'll make an appointment with Division Chief Gu."

Li Xuewu didn't continue to explain the problem with his teacher, but stood up and said, "I really have to go home and see. Our old man hurt his leg when he came to find me last time. I don't know how anxious he is this time."

Dong Wenxue nodded, "Alright, go back. We'll talk when you come tomorrow. By the way, go talk to Factory Director Yang tomorrow. I don't need to teach you the logic. Deputy Factory Director Li said he wants to have a meal with you tonight in the small cafeteria. Prepare yourself."

Li Xuewu nodded to show he understood after hearing his teacher's words, greeted him, and went out and downstairs.

When the jeep went out of the factory gate again, Yan Jiecheng was no longer there. The guard team members on the post stood straight, saluted standardly, neither humble nor pushy.

Good brothers~

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