Chapter 266: This Person Should Not Be Kept Long

Some people might feel that Li Xuewu draws too clear a line when it comes to money, appearing to make a mountain out of a molehill; they might think he should have handled it as Xu Ning just proposed.

Remember, this is a mine—a mine that could explode at any moment.

Keeping public and private matters separate is not just empty talk; it is a benchmark for a cadre to maintain their prestige and excellent character.

Li Xuewu will not use money or benefits to test or complicate his relationship with subordinates; not only is it inconvenient for management, but it is also a form of self-harm.

This is Li Xuewu's principle: he will not touch a single cent of public money, nor will he contribute a single cent of his own to the public coffers.

Of course, Xu Ning might have had good intentions, but Li Xuewu is unwilling to accept this kindness, nor does he dare to.

Therefore, while not hurting Xu Ning's feelings, he taught Xu Ning that this cannot be done.

After talking with Xu Ning for a while, Li Xuewu went out, started the jeep, and headed toward the Guard Team dormitory.

"Yo-ho!"

As soon as Li Xuewu entered the Guard Team dormitory, he saw Yan Jiecheng lying on the kang chatting happily with someone. He didn't know what he was bragging about, but spit was flying everywhere.

"You're quite leisurely," Li Xuewu said to Yan Jiecheng, raising an eyebrow.

Seeing Li Xuewu enter, Yan Jiecheng hurriedly jumped off the kang, stood straight, and explained to Li Xuewu: "Last night, Li Kezhang Han went into the city and didn't return until four in the morning. He went out for field work again this morning, so he just woke up."

Li Xuewu patted Yan Jiecheng on the shoulder and said, "It's fine, I just have something to ask you."

As he spoke, Li Xuewu handed the jeep keys to Yan Jiecheng and said, "Help me store the car in the garage; otherwise, it will definitely freeze up tonight after dinner."

Li Xuewu pulled Yan Jiecheng aside and said, "At 5:30, drive that duty vehicle home and pick up the men from the north-facing rooms."

"Understood, Li Kezhang."

Yan Jiecheng agreed, then asked, "Should I take them directly to the guesthouse?"

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Yes, and drive them back after dinner. You'll have a hard day today, so don't drink any alcohol tonight."

"Understood."

The glitz and glamour intoxicate people, and the flower-laden world confuses the eyes.

Tonight, the first floor of the guesthouse is brightly lit and bustling with noise.

Except for those on duty and patrol, all members of the Security Section are dining in the first-floor canteen.

Ji Weidong arrived with Xiao Liu and over a dozen people from the Investigation Department in two jeeps.

Upon arriving and seeing Li Xuewu's setup, he was quite surprised, and then he started clamoring for clothes from Li Xuewu.

"Hahaha."

Li Xuewu pulled Ji Weidong's hand off his overcoat and hugged him, pretending to be a good brother.

Under Ji Weidong's look of disgust and heartbreak, he patted "Ji Pluck-Hair" on the back and said, "I don't have clothes, and I don't have my life to give either, hahaha."

"Damn it, I suspected you were lying to me!"

Li Xuewu shook hands with Xiao Liu and the others from the Investigation Department, then said to Ji Weidong, "I didn't lie to you; my situation at the time was indeed as I described."

"But that's not what my sister said."

Ji Weidong raised an eyebrow at Li Xuewu, waiting for this "big liar" to provide a reasonable explanation.

It turned out that this morning, Ji Weidong told his sister he wouldn't be home for dinner, but as soon as he finished speaking, his sister said that a leader from the station was hosting a dinner tonight.

When the two compared notes, they both found it absurd; they were both familiar with the person, but they thought the other didn't know him, yet it turned out to be the same person.

At the time, Ji Weidong had said, "Stay away from that Deputy Station Chief of yours. He's not a bad person, but he's not suitable for dating."

It was Ji Yuxiu's shy expression that caught Ji Weidong's attention.

Ji Weidong is someone who studies people; as soon as he saw his sister's expression, he knew trouble was coming.

Damn his grandfather! Li Xuewu, that kid, is treating his girlfriend...

Sister is in danger!!!

After some questioning, he learned that the one she was dating wasn't Li Xuewu, but Li Xuewu's younger brother, Li Xuecai.

Ji Weidong wiped cold sweat from his forehead and told his sister that as long as it wasn't Li Xuewu, anyone else was fine.

This surprised Ji Yuxiu; her brother had always been very strict with her, but with Station Chief Li as a baseline, were the conditions now this relaxed?

Aside from that one time he used a gun butt to smash someone, Station Chief Li was still quite normal.

Of course it could be relaxed; after all, staying alive is what matters.

Ji Weidong, who had let his innocent sister off the hook, didn't intend to let Li Xuewu off, so he waited for Xiao Liu and his team to enter the canteen before pulling Li Xuewu aside to interrogate him.

Li Xuewu hadn't expected the two to have such a connection, and he said with a laugh, "What do they say? 'Fate brings people together from a thousand miles away, without fate, one doesn't recognize the person right in front.' This is what we call fate."

"A twisted fate, I suppose," Ji Weidong said with a cold, mocking laugh.

Li Xuewu put on a stern face and scolded, "What kind of talk is that?"

But then he quickly grinned and said, "Aren't we brothers who have been through life and death together? Don't worry about those details."

Ji Weidong twitched his face in a "hehe" laugh, then asked, "Who is Li Xuecai? He isn't a brother who has been through life and death with me, is he? Do you want me to..."

"Hey, hey, hey," Li Xuewu interrupted Ji Weidong, hugging his shoulder and saying, "To be honest, I liked Yuxiu the first time I saw her."

"You!"

Seeing Li Xuewu say this, Ji Weidong was about to flip out.

But he wasn't as tall as Li Xuewu, nor as sturdy, and was thoroughly suppressed.

"Listen to me finish."

Li Xuewu tightened his arm, pressing down Ji Weidong, who was about to jump up and bite him.

"I meant I liked Yuxiu as my sister-in-law the first time I saw her."

Seeing Li Xuewu say this, Ji Weidong stopped jumping and instead curled his lip.

A sister is always best; could that bastard who wants to steal his sister be as good as him?

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm not bragging, but my brother is truly good. He's studying at the Medical University now, and he'll be a doctor when he graduates. As for his character, there's no need to say. Look at me; our family's upbringing is the most upright."

Ji Weidong thought the first part was fine, but when he heard Li Xuewu talk about his own character, he struggled a bit.

"Is your face made of tire rubber?"

Li Xuewu laughed, let go of Ji Weidong, and offered him a cigarette, saying, "You'll know what kind of person he is when you see my brother. He will definitely be good to your sister."

Ji Weidong puffed on the cigarette, squinting at Li Xuewu, and said, "I used to think about making you my brother-in-law, but after spending time with you, I don't think so anymore. You're not suitable for having a girlfriend; you're suitable for living alone."

"Damn."

Li Xuewu laughed and cursed, then smiled, "In our family, I'm considered the most useless one. Did Yuxiu mention Xuecai when she got home?"

Ji Weidong raised an eyebrow at Li Xuewu and said, "My parents aren't in the country. Yuxiu has been taken care of by me for the past two years, and I have to be responsible for my sister."

"Fine, fine, fine. Who are we to each other? You should come to the house to sit when you have time. It's not that I'm saying..."

Li Xuewu poked Ji Weidong and whispered, "Yuxiu is too kind, too innocent. If she doesn't find someone who is easygoing, she'll suffer too much."

Ji Weidong looked at Li Xuewu and nodded, "You're right about that. Is your third brother easygoing?"

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Let's put it this way: he's not much more complicated than Yuxiu. A couple like that will live a very comfortable life."

Ji Weidong puffed on his cigarette without speaking, clearly thinking about his sister's affairs.

Ji Yuxiu would be 19 after the New Year, already at the age for marriage.

"My sister has to wait three years for your brother?" Ji Weidong asked with dissatisfaction.

Seeing headlights turning in from afar, Li Xuewu pulled Ji Weidong and said, "They've only just started dating, take it slow. Isn't three years just right? Get married as soon as they graduate. Don't think about it anymore, let's go see who's here."

Having seen that it was the four motorcycles from the Street Station entering, Li Xuewu pulled the reluctant Ji Weidong out to welcome them.

"Brother!"

Ji Yuxiu lifted her military overcoat, jumped out of the sidecar, and ran toward Ji Weidong.

Li Xuewu reached out to shake hands with Shen Fang, and then with the dejected-looking Duan Youting.

"What's wrong, Old Duan? Why such an expression?"

Shen Fang stood to the side, laughing "hehe," his eyes filled with pity as he looked at Duan Youting.

"Station Chief Li, you're not being kind."

Li Xuewu greeted the people from Jiaodaokou and asked Xu Ning, who had come out to welcome them, to lead them inside.

He himself led Shen Fang and the others to a room on the left side of the guesthouse lobby.

This place was originally a worker service center, but it had been closed down and was gathering dust. Now, it had been renovated and was ready to be reopened.

"Station Chief Duan, where does this come from? I, Li Xuewu, am an honest person. I've always been open and sincere with you and Old Shen."

Li Xuewu now wore the expression of a good person who had been wronged.

The grievance on his face was enough to make even Ji Weidong almost believe it, if not for the fact that Li Xuewu had just finished fooling him.

Duan Youting was now like a mute eating coptis—he had bitterness he couldn't voice.

He was supposed to be off duty today and had agreed to meet Shen Fang here for dinner, but who would have thought he'd be blocked inside his unit when he went to pick up his car at the station in the evening.

When Wei Min and Wei Guo were blocking Li Xuewu at the bookstore entrance, there was actually someone still in the jeep who hadn't come out—it was Tong Yan, who had come to the bookstore with Wei Guo.

Whether it was because she didn't want to face Li Xuewu or didn't have the face to face Gu Ning, Tong Yan chose to stay in the car when Wei Min came to cause trouble.

This actually allowed Tong Yan to escape a disaster. If Li Xuewu had seized this opportunity, hehe.

Tong Yan had been terrified when she saw Li Xuewu hit someone, and later, when she saw the police arrive, she thought Li Xuewu would restrain himself.

But she never expected the police to hit even harder.

Tong Yan watched helplessly as the young policeman gave Wei Guo a big back-throw.

With a "thud," Tong Yan felt the pain in her own body.

This was winter; this was the winter of the north. The ground was like steel, ringing with a "clang" when struck.

Watching the two Wei brothers collapse and that waste Zuo Jie surrender, Tong Yan was terrified.

Tong Yan buried herself in the seat, terrified that Li Xuewu would come to check the jeep.

But fortunately, in order to set a trap for Old Song and Xiao Mi, Li Xuewu didn't expose the jeep's presence, allowing Tong Yan to wait until Li Xuewu and the others left and the crowd dispersed.

Tong Yan ran into the Xinhua Bookstore, shivering, and called the Wei family.

This was poking a hornet's nest. As soon as Duan Youting entered the station, he was blocked by someone.

A middle-aged woman pointed at Duan Youting's nose and cursed.

Duan Youting didn't even know what was going on; he didn't know why this woman was demanding he release her son.

Duan Youting was also someone who didn't take nonsense; how could he endure this? He was about to lose his temper.

But before he could, he was stifled by the woman's words.

"Do you know who I am? Do you know who my husband is?"

Good heavens, does this family ask everyone about such ethical issues?

It wasn't that Duan Youting was cowardly, but he hadn't understood the situation yet and couldn't speak.

Looking at Old Song and Xiao Mi standing in the office with their heads down, Duan Youting felt like eating them alive.

After much persuasion, he managed to calm the Director's wife, and Duan Youting took Old Song and Xiao Mi into the office to understand the situation.

When he learned that the person had been sent over by Li Xuewu, Duan Youting's head went "buzz."

When he learned that this was a case Old Song and Xiao Mi had "exhausted their tongues" and "gone through great pains" to beg for, Duan Youting could only sigh.

What was meant to come had come. Despite all the precautions, he hadn't guarded against Li Xuewu, that yellow weasel.

This was clearly revenge for the time he had favored his subordinates.

When Duan Youting told this to Old Song and Xiao Mi, the two didn't believe it.

Because Li Xuewu hadn't called them to go at the beginning, nor had he taken the initiative to say he would send them here; he had even tried to dissuade them when they requested it.

That wasn't all; to prevent them from feeling too much pressure, he had even taken a copy of the transcript. He was a good person!

Xiao Mi also nodded in agreement with his master, feeling that Li Xuewu wasn't a bad person.

"What? Li Xuewu took a copy of the transcript?"

Duan Youting was completely numb—not numb from winning, but numb from misery.

These two fools had been instigated by Li Xuewu to climb a high wall, and then Li Xuewu had pulled away the ladder.

He had intended to call the parties involved for mediation, but he hadn't expected Li Xuewu to be holding the transcript.

Now, mediation was impossible. The victim was clearly Li Xuewu's friend; this was a deliberate trap.

He remembered what Shen Fang had told him a few days ago: Li Xuewu was always fond of playing dirty and would set a trap for you whenever he could.

And it wasn't just one trap; it was like an old sow wearing a bra—basically a chain of traps.

What could be seen now was killing three birds with one stone.

He had dealt with the Wei brothers who had harassed his friend, taken revenge on Old Song and Xiao Mi, and controlled Duan Youting.

And he had even distanced himself from it.

The ones who "acted bravely for a just cause" were three people; are you going to say Li Xuewu was retaliating?

He was clearly just a messenger of justice passing by.

Are you going to say he retaliated against Old Song and Xiao Mi?

Do you see Old Song and Xiao Mi admitting it?

Are you going to say he controlled Duan Youting?

Do you see Duan Youting daring to say that now?

In any case, the Wei family woman was currently making a scene at the station.

The Beixinqiao Station only had the name of a public office; the woman didn't dare to rush inside, otherwise, it would be storming a prison.

Duan Youting finally had no choice and told the Wei family woman that he would go find the parties involved now, and if she didn't let him go, her son would never get out. Only then did he get a chance to run out.

"Station Chief Li, stop playing with me. I surrender. Tell me, what do you want? What do you want me, Old Duan, to do? Just say the word, and I will definitely do it for you."

Li Xuewu looked at Shen Fang and then said to Duan Youting, "Station Chief Duan, what are you saying? We are friends. How could I have anything that would make things difficult for you?"

Duan Youting didn't listen to Li Xuewu's explanation at all. When he was chatting with Shen Fang on the road, Shen Fang had said, "I tried to persuade you, but you wouldn't listen. Now you know I was right, don't you?"

Everything Shen Fang had said about Li Xuewu's insidiousness had now come true.

Shen Fang had also given Duan Youting a strategy: since you've lost, just lay your cards on the table completely.

Killing someone is just a point on the head; he had originally wanted to interact with you with the image of an unyielding messenger of justice.

I'm not playing anymore; I, Duan Youting, am laying my cards on the table!

I'm lying flat; kill me if you want.

Li Xuewu looked at Duan Youting's "ready to be slaughtered" appearance, unable to laugh or cry, and pulled Shen Fang, saying, "You should persuade Old Duan. Isn't this just a misunderstanding of me?"

Shen Fang looked at Li Xuewu and said to Duan Youting, "Why don't you just say it while kneeling?"

"Damn!"

Li Xuewu gave Shen Fang a punch and then said to the bitter-faced Duan Youting, "Don't be like this. You've made the comrades from the Investigation Department misunderstand me."

Ji Weidong waved his hand and said, "Don't explain. You are exactly that kind of person."

"Hahahahaha."

Shen Fang and the others laughed heartily. Li Xuewu also followed suit for a while, then pulled Duan Youting and said, "I didn't mean anything else; it was just a coincidence. I'm also a victim."

Seeing that the others didn't believe him, Li Xuewu said in terror, "I was threatened, had a gun pointed at me. I was terrified at the time, so I made some irrational but understandable moves."

"Besides, we were acting bravely for a just cause, weren't we?"

"Don't. It was you acting bravely for a just cause; it has nothing to do with those two fools in our station," Duan Youting denied vehemently.

Li Xuewu shook his head, looking at the mischievous and stubbornly resisting Duan Youting, and said, "But Old Song and Xiao Mi have already signed my transcript, confirming that the three of us saved the person together."

"..."

"You are truly vicious," Ji Weidong shook his head, looking at Li Xuewu.

Shen Fang also shook his head, looking at Duan Youting with pity.

"Don't think about jumping out of the pit he dug."

Li Xuewu ignored the two who were mocking him and asked Duan Youting, "Did someone go to your station to find you?"

Duan Youting looked at Li Xuewu and said, "How can you call that seeking connections? That Director's wife was in the rhythm of tearing down the house."

Li Xuewu said with a smile, "That's a good thing. Are you stupid? Those two broken rooms of yours are worth a few cents. Tell Old Song and Xiao Mi to relax their guard and let her make a scene. It would be better if it were razed to the ground."

After finishing with Duan Youting, he said to Shen Fang, "Old Duan is still lucky; he has a chance to live in a new house."

Shen Fang also laughed and teased, "Why else would they say 'the old man lost his horse, who knows if it's a blessing'? Old Duan, your station might be getting a new building."

Li Xuewu looked at the gloating Shen Fang and said, "If I had known Mrs. Wei was so kind-hearted, I should have brought them back to Jiaodaokou. 'Fat water doesn't flow into outsiders' fields,' right?"

Shen Fang's laughter stopped abruptly. He turned red and said to Li Xuewu, "Are you eyeing my position as Station Chief? You don't have to go through so much trouble. I can yield the position; it's not worth it to go through all this."

"Hahahahaha."

Seeing Li Xuewu's expression, it seemed he wasn't afraid of Mrs. Wei. Duan Youting's expression eased slightly, and he laughed along with the others for a while.

"I also just stabilized her and told the station not to pay attention to her. If she really has the idea of tearing down our station, I'd like to share this scene with you, Station Chief Li."

Li Xuewu squinted at Duan Youting and said, "The most important thing is to make the work solid. I really didn't think you could handle them."

Duan Youting squinted at Li Xuewu, not knowing if Li Xuewu was mocking him or challenging him.

"Hehehe, don't misunderstand."

Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "Wei Min is in active service; you can't control him."

Duan Youting felt relieved in his heart; being able to hand him over was the best.

But then Li Xuewu's words gave Duan Youting another blow.

"But I suspect that Mrs. Wei didn't go to the Garrison District Inspector but went straight to you to make a scene because she didn't want the Garrison District to intervene."

Duan Youting, who had been pushed and pulled by Li Xuewu, felt his heart sink to the bottom again.

"Then you still said you didn't count on us. Was it just to mock us? Hehehe."

Shen Fang saw Duan Youting's cold, mocking laugh and pulled him, reminding him to pay attention to unity.

Li Xuewu didn't care and explained, "Let her make a scene first. I want to wait and see Director Wei. If he doesn't come out, I'll transfer Wei Min directly to the Garrison District Inspector tomorrow morning and pursue his family members for disturbing local public order. We'll deal with Wei Guo."

Duan Youting looked at Li Xuewu without speaking, wanting to know what Li Xuewu wanted to do next.

Li Xuewu didn't rush to explain to Duan Youting but turned to look at Ji Weidong and asked, "Do you know these two people?"

Ji Weidong curled his lip and said, "I'm not from their military academy. I grew up in the Foreign Affairs Academy; our academy wouldn't produce such bastards."

"Hehehe." Li Xuewu laughed for a while, wanting to say, "Big brother, don't laugh at second brother," but thinking of his third brother's happiness, he decided not to be too sarcastic.

"What I'm thinking about isn't retaliation. What I'm thinking about are the people associated with these two, those people who dare to carry guns on the street."

Shen Fang raised an eyebrow and asked, "You want to strike at this group of people?"

Li Xuewu changed from his warm demeanor, sweeping his cold, sharp gaze over Shen Fang and Duan Youting, saying, "Whoever dares to come to my jurisdiction to cause trouble, I will strike them. This time, I'm going to grab everything—I'll hit the flies, and I'll hit the tigers too!"

Ji Weidong, Shen Fang, and Duan Youting looked at each other, all seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

Ji Weidong frowned and asked, "Aren't you afraid of people saying you're a dog catching mice?"

Li Xuewu stared into Ji Weidong's eyes and said, "That's on the premise that you are a dog—a biting dog, a dog that can bite people to death."

Looking at Li Xuewu's bloodthirsty appearance, Duan Youting, the first person to handle this, frowned.

He already had some understanding of what Li Xuewu was going to do, and he was terrified.

Shen Fang had some understanding of Li Xuewu's affairs at the Steel Mill and knew this kid was ruthless—not only to enemies but also to himself.

What was he doing?

All three knew, and all understood Li Xuewu's ultimate goal.

Shen Fang had said long ago that the day Li Xuewu lost his temper with him and Duan Youting, he knew Li Xuewu was going to kill.

Because it wasn't the first time; he understood this routine. Last time, he had already played this game once while carrying a gun.

Cause trouble, kill, kill, cause trouble—that's how he played.

Since he was playing so big this time, the one he was going to kill definitely wouldn't be small.

Ji Weidong also felt a bit dizzy looking at Li Xuewu's eyes, which were brimming with killing intent. This kid had too much killing intent and too heavy a heart for killing.

After killing Wang Weidong's gang, he had been promoted from a section chief to a section chief.

To ordinary people at the time, this section chief position was a step to the sky, but people like Ji Weidong knew that Li Xuewu's career as a section chief had reached its end.

Because he was too young, his leaders were also too young, and security work didn't produce results; it was a position that relied on time to grind out seniority.

But Li Xuewu had used the lives of the Hu Zhengquan gang not only to stand firm as a security section chief but also to "get the Long and hope for the Shu."

Under Li Xuewu's series of actions recently, just the three of them—Ji Weidong and Shen Fang—knew about the training of internal powerful departments and the integration of resources from multiple cooperative units.

Externally, he had pulled Duan Youting in and even attracted the attention of Director Zheng.

For the first time, factory security forces were taking the lead in preparing for a powerful strike against lawbreakers.

These three didn't know about Li Xuewu's private little actions.

Li Xuewu's lace news had become a hot topic in offices and workshops.

This was truly a "top-tier" celebrity that even Wang *Headline* Feng would cry over.

Now, there was going to be a position change in the Security Section where Li Xuewu was located. Li Xuewu, who was about to be promoted, lacked a stepping-stone achievement. This was casting a wide net—he was going to collect heads wherever he saw them.

Duan Youting thought of Mrs. Wei waiting at the Beixinqiao Station and feared she would have to send her son off in a white-haired-sending-off-black-haired situation. Whoever this Li Erbala targeted couldn't escape.

Yes, if they ran away, who would give him a stepping stone?

Why else would the old saying go, "One general succeeds, ten thousand bones wither"? Do you think those ten thousand withered bones were all voluntary?

Duan Youting thought again that he had become a knife in Li Xuewu's hand this time, and he didn't know if his old vegetable self could withstand Li Erbala's disaster.

"Fine, we're brothers. If you want the wind, I have to give you the momentum. I'll accompany the gentleman with my life."

Shen Fang was quite surprised to see Duan Youting express his stance; he hadn't expected the usually honest Old Duan to have such courage.

Seeing Li Xuewu finish speaking, Ji Weidong patted Li Xuewu on the shoulder and said, "If there's anything, just say it. I have no friendship with them."

After expressing his stance, Ji Weidong walked toward the small canteen opposite.

Shen Fang also patted Duan Youting on the shoulder and said, "There's risk, but it's even more of an opportunity. Don't worry, I'm here too."

After speaking, he also chased after Ji Weidong to the opposite side.

Li Xuewu said to Duan Youting, "Just as I said, act according to the rules. First, put them on a project until you force Wei Min to reveal his identity. If there are no new changes, then report to the branch bureau and ask the Garrison District to handle it officially."

"What about Wei Guo? He's not in active service."

"That's even easier to handle. Deal with him at your station: armed robbery, threatening police officers handling the case, coercing others to engage in dangerous criminal activities."

Speaking of this, Li Xuewu added, "Have Zuo Jie fill in this line, but don't release him. If their family comes looking, just say he's a witness cooperating with the investigation."

Duan Youting frowned, nodded to show he understood, and finally asked worriedly, "Can the victim hold up?"

Knowing that Old Song must have told him about his relationship with Gu Ning, Li Xuewu didn't hide it and nodded confidently, "If she can't hold up, we might as well jump into the river early and at least get a belly full of water."

Seeing Li Xuewu so confident, Duan Youting looked at him sideways and said, "If you have such a powerful connection, why don't you use your strength from top to bottom?"

Li Xuewu smiled, pointed his chin at Ji Weidong, who was chatting with Shen Fang and Xu Ning, and said, "Look at this one. Even he hasn't used his strength; what am I?"

After saying this, Li Xuewu walked toward Qin Huairu, who was winking at him.

Qin Jie wasn't someone who would jump around; she must have something to do if she was looking for him now.

Duan Youting looked at Li Xuewu's back, then at Ji Weidong, who was chatting and laughing with Shen Fang, thinking to himself what kind of powerful figures these were who had come to the grassroots level to fight.

Li Xuewu's network was too terrifying.

"Li Kezhang Li, everyone is here, and the kitchen has prepared the dishes. Should we go invite Factory Li Suo?"

Li Xuewu looked toward the banquet hall and nodded to Qin Huairu, saying, "Wait for me. Don't serve the dishes until I come in with Deputy Factory Li Suo."

After giving instructions, Li Xuewu headed toward the office building to the front left of the guesthouse.

No need to think; Li Huai De must be here right now.

He went up to the third floor and knocked on the office door, which he had seen was lit from downstairs.

After receiving a reply, Li Xuewu pushed the door open.

Li Huai De was sitting on the sofa smoking, and accompanying him was someone Li Xuewu hadn't expected.

"Hehehe."

Fu Bin was sitting on the sofa, smiling as he looked at Li Xuewu.

What is called pulling the firewood from under the cauldron? What is called "ginger is still old and spicy"?

Old silver coin!!!

"Yo! Li Kezhang, you've caught me off guard!"

As he spoke, Li Xuewu exclaimed with a smile, then picked up a cigarette from the coffee table, lit it, and took a deep puff while the two old foxes looked at him with smiles.

"Phew~ Factory Li Suo, your cigarettes aren't bad; they smell better than Daqian Sect."

Li Huai De was truly bad. Li Xuewu had handed him the conversation, but he didn't pick it up, so Li Xuewu had no room to buffer.

But Li Huai De didn't respond no matter what Li Xuewu said; he and Fu Bin just looked at Li Xuewu like that.

Now Li Xuewu faced a problem: how to invite both of them to the canteen for dinner.

Li Huai De wasn't hard to invite because it had already been agreed upon; the hard part was Fu Bin.

Li Xuewu hadn't invited Fu Bin but had bypassed him to invite Li Huai De. Now that they were both here, opening his mouth directly would be awkward.

Li Xuewu wasn't afraid of awkwardness; what he was afraid of was losing face in front of Fu Bin.

If he opened his mouth directly, Li Xuewu would be admitting his mistake, and he would be at a disadvantage in front of Fu Bin—something Li Xuewu wasn't willing to see.

If Li Xuewu softened his stance in front of Fu Bin today, Li Huai De's balance might tilt.

Fu Bin had come uninvited today for this very purpose—to dampen Li Xuewu's spirit and extinguish his prestige.

Li Huai De was also pushing the boat with the current, wanting to see if Li Xuewu, who was about to be promoted and become his general, could handle the situation.

He wanted to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, to see Li Xuewu's ability.

If it were anyone else, they would have been paralyzed by now.

You invited the superior's superior to dinner, deliberately didn't invite the superior, and then both of them were there, and the banquet was waiting for you to invite them to start.

How could they not be paralyzed!

Anyone would be paralyzed!

But Li Xuewu wasn't paralyzed. He wasn't afraid of this; for him, this was already an elementary school problem.

Of course, Li Xuewu was talking about elementary school problems before the curriculum reform.

After the reform, no one dared to say that.

"Hehe, are you two putting me in check?"

Li Xuewu, this ruthless person, didn't play by the rules at all. He directly lifted the lid, exposing the two old turtles who were holding back evil intentions.

Li Xuewu said with a confident smile, "I'm not afraid of being put in check. I had full consideration for not inviting Li Kezhang Fu to attend."

Fu Bin looked at Li Xuewu with a smile, didn't ask, just took a puff of his cigarette and flicked the ash into the ashtray on the sofa armrest.

"Today's banquet indeed requires the attendance of leaders from the security side, but Li Kezhang Fu, after all, is someone who has been investigated by the Investigation Department. I'm not afraid that Li Kezhang Fu has any problems!"

Li Xuewu waved his hand to emphasize, "I firmly believe that Li Kezhang Fu can withstand the investigation."

After saying this, looking at Fu Bin, who had lost his smile, Li Xuewu frowned and said, "We're serving alcohol today. If someone really drinks too much and blurts out the details of Li Kezhang Fu's investigation, this..."

Li Xuewu hesitated for a moment, then said to Li Huai De, "This won't look good on our Security Section's face, and it won't look good on your face as the supervising leader, right?"

Li Huai De's face also lost its smile.

Although Li Xuewu's explanation and handling could be considered a qualified explanation, Li Huai De wasn't satisfied because Fu Bin wasn't satisfied.

This wasn't to say that Li Huai De was in cahoots with Fu Bin, but that Li Huai De was using Fu Bin's attitude to measure Li Xuewu's ability.

After bringing down the emotions of the two, Li Xuewu revealed a smile and said to them, "Our Li Kezhang being able to come has actually taught me a lesson."

"Oh?" This sentence caught Li Huai De's attention.

Fu Bin also looked at Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu continued to explain, "What is called 'being humble'? I've understood the reason why our Li Kezhang can manage the Security Section so well."

Without waiting for them to ask, Li Xuewu looked at Fu Bin with admiration and said, "That is 'the sea accepts hundreds of rivers, and greatness comes from tolerance.'"

Hearing Li Xuewu's explanation, Li Huai De couldn't help but reveal a smile and glanced at Fu Bin.

Fu Bin also revealed a smile, looking at Li Xuewu, waiting for the following explanation.

Li Xuewu exclaimed, "I once saw a story in the *Quran* that writes about exactly what our Li Kezhang means."

Under their inquisitive gazes, Li Xuewu recounted:

The Prophet Muhammad told his disciples: Faith is the key to achieving anything.

A disciple expressed that he couldn't understand and said: If you have faith, can you make that mountain come over so we can stand on the peak?

Muhammad expressed his faith and shouted hard at the mountain: Mountain, come over!

The echo of the mountain returned to silence, and the mountain remained unmoved on the other side.

Muhammad said to the disciples: If the mountain won't come, we will go to the mountain!

So, they took steps, and after some effort, they finally reached the peak.

After finishing this story, amidst their thoughtful expressions, Li Xuewu said, "Li Kezhang Fu has this spirit of 'if the mountain won't come to me, I will go to the mountain.' If the comrades have misunderstandings, our Li Kezhang will take the initiative to break those misunderstandings."

"Hahahahaha."

Fu Bin laughed heartily, and Li Huai De also smiled, squinting at Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu didn't know what Li Huai De was thinking, but he knew what Fu Bin was thinking.

This person should not be kept long; kill him quickly.

"Li Kezhang Fu, don't worry. I've already made it clear to Ji Weidong, and he will come to toast you in a moment."

"Oh?" This surprised Fu Bin, and he took a deep look at Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu didn't care about Fu Bin's confusion—it was nothing more than how he knew he had come here.

This question was something Li Xuewu deliberately let Fu Bin misunderstand, just to make this old fox with deep schemes unable to sleep tonight.

"Deputy Factory Li Suo, Li Kezhang Fu, let's go. After all, we are the hosts, and it's not appropriate to keep the guests waiting."

"Hahaha." Li Huai De stood up and said to Fu Bin, "Let's go, Li Kezhang Fu, who has the wisdom of Muhammad."

"Hahahahaha."

Fu Bin smiled and said, "It really is 'the waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves in front, and the waves in front die on the beach.' I have to admit it; my brain can't keep up with young thinking and ability. It really is time for me to yield the position."

These words were for Li Xuewu and Li Huai De to hear. Li Huai De smiled without expressing an opinion, and Li Xuewu wouldn't say anything either.

When the three arrived at the lobby, Xu Ning was waiting with Qin Huairu and Liu Lan.

"Leaders, we've been waiting for you." Xu Ning greeted them with a smile.

Li Huai De was very polite to his subordinates. He nodded to Xu Ning and, under Xu Ning's guidance, walked into the lobby.

Qin Huairu and Liu Lan went around the corridor to the kitchen, waving to the service staff at the kitchen door to signal them to serve the dishes.

Today's service staff were all selected by Xu Ning from the service office—standard height, slender figures, all wearing two big braids, and all first-class in appearance.

The service staff's uniforms were stipulated by the factory—all cotton shoes, black pants, and gray-white lapel tops.

Except for those helping in the kitchen, the service staff transferred from the workshops were all pushing food carts to help deliver dishes.

The service staff were carrying dishes to the tables.

Fu Bin followed Li Huai De, looking at the dining tables in the small canteen—there must be ten tables, and even if each table sat eight people, that was nearly eighty people.

Although there was a polite smile on his face, his heart was full of wariness.

"Leaders, please this way."

Xu Ning guided Li Huai De and Fu Bin to the main table against the wall in the middle, where some people were already seated.

Ji Weidong, Shen Fang, and Duan Youting were sitting here.

Xu Ning, Han Yating, and others were prepared to sit here, but seeing Fu Bin come, they all dispersed to their respective unit tables.

Li Xuewu introduced Ji Weidong and the other two to Li Huai De and Fu Bin.

After they were seated, Xu Ning shouted for silence at each table, explained the purpose of this dinner, and invited Li Huai De to speak.

Li Huai De was very willing to say some formal words on such occasions, which was also an increase in his personal prestige.

Looking at the standard movements of the service staff, the small canteen was managed in an orderly manner by Xu Ning. Li Huai De started by talking about the significance of this meal, went directly to the brotherly feelings of the three units, and finally concluded with a summary speech on the contact and mutual assistance of the three units.

Taking advantage of this time, Li Xuewu also told Ji Weidong about the matter of toasting Fu Bin.

This wasn't difficult, after all, Ji Weidong's relationship with Li Xuewu was right there.

Another thing was that Fu Bin was still a leader of the Security Section, and he wouldn't make Li Xuewu lose face in front of so many people. ===== CHAPTER 267 =====