Chapter 313: The Victor Becomes King

"Yes."

Since Li Li Xuewu had already chased him all the way home, what was there for Fu Fu Haibo to deny?

"Originally, that was a massive pit I prepared to trap and kill you, but alas, the plan was sound; it was the damn pit-diggers who were a bunch of trash."

Li Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Trash is trash, but sweeping it up is quite troublesome, which is why I despise those who create trash even more."

"Oh?"

Fu Fu Haibo asked mockingly, "How do you intend to despise me? What can you possibly do to me?"

"You dare come arrest me with only five men; has staying in Jingcheng made you so bold, huh?"

"If I kill you, I have ways to settle things with the people outside, believe it or not? Where exactly will you despise me, huh?"

Watching Fu Fu Haibo stand up in agitation, Li Li Xuewu pointed at Fu Fu Haibo's gun and said, "Your gun is definitely not faster than mine."

"Surrender, Director Fu; the outside is full of police."

"Surrender? Haha, how exactly should I surrender? Raise my hands? Or what?"

"Actually, kneeling would be quite good."

Hearing such arrogant words from Li Li Xuewu, Fu Fu Haibo felt that Li Li Xuewu was simply a madman.

"Kneel? Fine, then you kneel before me right now!"

"Do you want to test my gun?"

"Hey, I actually do want to test it!"

Brandishing his gun at Li Li Xuewu, Fu Fu Haibo shouted loudly, "Draw your gun! Say I can't play fair? Say I'm bullying you?"

As he spoke, Fu Fu Haibo spun the gun in his hand and holstered it in the holster on his left side.

Li Li Xuewu hadn't expected that this Fu Fu Haibo was actually a left-handed shooter.

Li Li Xuewu smiled, stood up casually, and gestured toward Fu Fu Haibo with his empty, open hands.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu stand up and reach for his gun, Fu Fu Haibo's hand had just grasped the grip when he saw Li Li Xuewu already charging over while stepping on the coffee table.

Thinking Li Li Xuewu intended to engage in hand-to-hand combat, Fu Fu Haibo smirked inwardly; what era is this?

One shot from me can finish you off!

Just as Fu Fu Haibo drew his gun and prepared to aim at Li Li Xuewu, he was suddenly kicked on the arm by the charging Li Li Xuewu.

The kick accelerated Fu Fu Haibo's upward arm movement, and during that upward motion, he involuntarily pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

"If you dare make another move, I will take your corpse back!"

Fu Fu Haibo didn't know how Li Li Xuewu had pulled the gun from his pocket; he only saw Li Li Xuewu extend his hand, and suddenly a gun appeared in it.

With no hope of survival anyway, Fu Fu Haibo was not intimidated by Li Li Xuewu's threat and instead retreated, intending to fight Li Li Xuewu to the death.

"Dad!"

Just as Fu Fu Haibo was going berserk, he suddenly froze upon hearing a voice call out from the stairs.

His son had called him 'Dad'.

That single call of 'Dad' stirred Fu Fu Haibo so intensely that even the gun in his hand began to tremble.

To be honest, Li Li Xuewu hadn't been afraid when Fu Fu Haibo previously pointed the gun at his own head and shouted, but now he was afraid.

Truly, when a person becomes agitated or loses rationality, things can get incredibly eerie.

He saw his son standing on the stairs calling him 'Dad', while his wife stood under the stairwell light, holding their son's small shoulders.

This scene had once been Fu Fu Haibo's dream as well.

"Dad! Don't~ sob sob sob~"

Although the little boy was usually quiet and reserved, a child of this age actually understands everything.

Ever since Li Li Xuewu arrived at the main gate with Liu Liu Zhaolun, the little boy had known exactly why Li Li Xuewu had come.

Just moments ago, fearing his father would make a mistake, he had ignored his mother's attempts to hold him back and run downstairs.

Watching his son cry, watching his wife cry, looking at the confident Li Li Xuewu standing on the coffee table pointing a gun at him, and then glancing outside at the men holding guns...

"Clang!"

Fu Fu Haibo simply could not bear to let his son witness him killing someone, nor did he want his son to see him being shot dead.

His earlier claim that he could handle the people outside also contained an element of bluffing; settling matters with the Steel Plant was no problem, settling matters with the Subdistrict Office was no problem, but settling matters with the Bureau's people...

"I have lost!"

Fu Fu Haibo looked at Li Li Xuewu and said, "Take good care of my wife and children, and I will comply with all your demands."

Li Li Xuewu watched Fu Fu Haibo drop his gun and raise his hands, then jumped down from the coffee table, walked up to Fu Fu Haibo, inspected him briefly, and reached into Fu Fu Haibo's pocket to pull out his own cigarettes and lighter.

"I have never had the habit of letting people borrow my lighter, but I can give you the cigarettes."

He flicked the lighter in his hand, tucked it into his own pocket, and then placed the cigarettes back into Fu Fu Haibo's pocket.

The villa door was pushed open again from the outside; Nie Nie Liansheng stood at the doorway, gun raised and aimed at Fu Fu Haibo.

"Actually, what I said was true; your gun is definitely not faster than mine, and Ma San'er can testify to that."

Patting Fu Fu Haibo on the shoulder, he said to Nie Nie Liansheng, "Give him some dignity."

Seeing Li Li Xuewu tilt his head, Fu Fu Haibo took one last look at his wife and son standing on the stairs, then turned and walked toward Nie Nie Liansheng.

Fu Fu Haibo did not wish to be arrested inside the villa; having enjoyed glory for several years, he feared his wife and son seeing him in such a wretched state.

"Dad!"

Seeing his father walking out with hands raised, the little boy cried out and ran down the stairs, trying to chase after Fu Fu Haibo.

"Fu Zhidong!"

Zhou Wang Yamei called out, hastily chasing after him from behind.

With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Li Li Xuewu calmly bent down and scooped up the little boy who had run down the stairs into his arms.

"Daddy~"

The little boy struggled constantly in Li Li Xuewu's arms, prompting Fu Fu Haibo, who had reached the doorway, to want to turn back and look.

Inside the room, Nie Nie Liansheng could save face for Li Li Xuewu, but once outside—

The people outdoors grabbed Fu Fu Haibo by the collar and yanked him out.

Li Li Xuewu stood by the coffee table holding the child, watching as several people pinned Fu Fu Haibo down in the snow and slapped handcuffs on him.

Handcuffed and arrested, Fu Fu Haibo twisted his head back with all his strength to look, seeing his son crying in Li Li Xuewu's arms and his wife standing beside Li Li Xuewu comforting the boy.

"Move!"

Nie Nie Liansheng shoved Fu Fu Haibo, ordering his subordinates to escort him to the vehicle.

Watching the jeep drive out of the street, Li Li Xuewu handed the still-crying little boy to Zhou Wang Yamei and put on his own coat.

Zhou Wang Yamei held her son, looking at Li Li Xuewu with difficulty.

Taking the cap Zhou Wang Yamei handed over, he placed it on his head and said, "I have to take Fu Fu Haibo back to Jingcheng tonight."

"I..."

"You don't need to worry; I said I would."

Li Li Xuewu refraining from acting against Fu Fu Haibo's family was also due to political rules; at Li Li Xuewu's current level, situations where calamity extends to family members rarely occur.

Struggles between parties remain within controllable limits.

Cases like Fu Fu Haibo's, where one burns their boats and sinks their own ship, are rare, so Li Li Xuewu was exceptionally ruthless toward him.

Anyone who fails to cooperate or engages in shielding will be uprooted entirely.

This includes Fu Bin, Fu Changhua, Fu Fu Haibo, as well as relevant personnel and those uncovered in subsequent investigations.

For someone like Zhou Wang Yamei, who cooperates with the arrest and case handling, there will be more leniency.

This is not done for my own sake, but for Fu Fu Haibo and others to see, and for the outside world to see.

Fu Fu Haibo, while inside, must also consider the status of his wife and child outside, leading him to confess thoroughly.

Those not yet brought to justice, or not yet uncovered, seeing this kind of handling, will also consider the cost of fierce resistance.

After comforting Fu Fu Haibo's wife, Li Li Xuewu put on gloves and walked out the door; seeing Nie Nie Liansheng waiting by his car, he offered him a cigarette.

Nie Nie Liansheng glanced behind Li Li Xuewu, then said, "Leaving tonight?"

"Mm."

Li Li Xuewu agreed, then said to Nie Nie Liansheng, "This time, I must also thank the Steel City Bureau for their cooperation and assistance."

Fu Fu Haibo being taken away first by the Steel City Bureau was fine with Li Li Xuewu; this is standard case-handling procedure.

The Steel City Bureau taking Fu Fu Haibo away is to carry out detention procedures, transforming Fu Fu Haibo's status from a natural person to a suspect.

Preliminary interrogations leave a criminal record and data, facilitating subsequent case handling and filing by the Steel City Bureau.

"No need to say that; we are all comrades."

"That is true."

Li Li Xuewu held the cigarette in his right hand, looked at Nie Nie Liansheng, and said with a smile, "Who knows, I might be back in a few days."

"Hahahaha!"

Nie Nie Liansheng naturally understood the meaning behind Li Li Xuewu's words; he reached out and shook Li Li Xuewu's hand, saying, "I actually welcome you to come a few more times; that way, I'm bound to become famous this year."

"Hehehe, exactly what I wish for."

Pointing to the double-door GAZ-69 by the roadside, Li Li Xuewu said, "Lend me this vehicle."

"You can have it, hehe."

Nie Nie Liansheng smiled and said, "Courtesy demands reciprocity; I consulted our leader, and the leader said that comrades from Jingcheng are guests, and there is no reason to let guests return empty-handed."

"Then thank you."

Li Li Xuewu smiled, then pointed to the villa behind him and the mother and son standing at the window watching this side, saying, "As for this, please give them more care; Fu Fu Haibo is guilty, but his family is innocent—a widow and an orphan."

Good heavens, upon hearing Li Li Xuewu's words, Nie Nie Liansheng realized he had effectively sentenced Fu Fu Haibo to death.

Nie Nie Liansheng glanced inside the house, shook his head, and said, "This falls outside the scope of our case; we are powerless to help."

Nie Nie Liansheng knew Li Li Xuewu's thoughts clearly: this ruthless man had taken the person away and now wanted to leave this burden with him.

If anything happened to Fu Fu Haibo's family, or if they were taken away for investigation and their property confiscated, it would have nothing to do with Li Li Xuewu.

Those related to the Fu family, or those watching this spectacle, would blame the Steel City Municipal Bureau, not say that Li Li Xuewu was ruthless and vicious.

Where else could one find such a good deal? Nie Nie Liansheng certainly wouldn't clean up Li Li Xuewu's mess.

Li Li Xuewu silently cursed "old fox," then glanced at the villa, opened the car door, and got in.

Nie Nie Liansheng, wearing a smiling expression, got into the jeep that had driven over, returning first to the Municipal Bureau to wait for Li Li Xuewu.

This is called ginger growing spicier with age!

Li Li Xuewu drove to the Steel City No. 1 Hospital, preparing to pick up people and "the person."

The people Li Li Xuewu brought were all here: Jing Jing Yongjie was the first to arrive, Liu Liu Zhaolun the second, Yan Brother Jiecheng the third, and Han Zhan, rescued by the Steel City Municipal Bureau, had also been sent here earlier for treatment and bandaging.

After exchanging greetings with the Steel City colleagues at the entrance, he was led by comrades from the Municipal Bureau to the treatment room.

"Li Kezhang."

Liu Liu Zhaolun spotted Li Li Xuewu first and called out.

Li Li Xuewu patted Liu Liu Zhaolun on the shoulder, then looked at Han Zhan sitting on the chair and asked, "How is it? Where are you injured?"

Han Zhan gestured by lifting both hands, saying, "Just a bit of skin rubbed off on my hands by the handcuffs; nothing serious."

Patting Han Zhan on the shoulder, he said, "That's good; we'll rush back overnight."

"Okay, Li Kezhang..."

Seeing Han Zhan hesitating to speak, Li Li Xuewu squeezed the hand resting on Han Zhan's shoulder and said, "It's not your fault; it was Jing Jing Yongjie who was fearless in the face of death, charging to the front, understand?"

"Understood, Li Kezhang!"

Han Zhan was no fool; he was a very steady person, and of course he understood the meaning behind Li Li Xuewu's words.

The comrades from the Gangcheng City Bureau standing nearby also gave Li Li Xuewu a good look upon hearing his words.

Li Li Xuewu glanced at Brother Brother Jiecheng, then said, "Get the vehicle ready; I'll take Liu Zhaolun and Han Zhan to pick up Jing Jing Yongjie."

Brother Brother Jiecheng knew Li Li Xuewu did not care for him; he gave an affirmative reply and headed out.

Li Li Xuewu paid no attention to Brother Brother Jiecheng, taking Han Zhan and Liu Liu Zhaolun to the morgue.

It was around eight o'clock by then; the wind had stopped, but it was still bitterly cold outside.

Inside the morgue, they saw Jing Jing Yongjie being carried out, his wounds already cleaned and his clothes changed.

Li Li Xuewu looked at Liu Liu Zhaolun and nodded.

The clothes Jing Jing Yongjie wore were the ones Liu Liu Zhaolun had brought, since Jing Jing Yongjie had not brought any luggage when he came out.

The three of them worked together to push Jing Jing Yongjie toward the vehicle.

Since it was a long-body van, they sealed the bag and placed Jing Jing Yongjie in the middle.

Brother Brother Jiecheng drove; Li Li Xuewu had Han Zhan sit in the front passenger seat, while he himself sat in the back with Liu Liu Zhaolun.

The vehicle drove straight into the Gangcheng City Bureau compound, where Nie Nie Liansheng was already waiting.

Waiting for Li Li Xuewu were not only comrades from the City Bureau like Nie Nie Liansheng, but also comrades from the Steel Rolling Plant.

As soon as Li Li Xuewu got out of the car, he saw Luo Jiaping, the director of the Steel Rolling Plant, standing at the entrance with Xiao Xiao Changqing, head of the plant's Security Department, and Yu Yu Decai, the office secretary.

The few of them were talking about something; Luo Jiaping, wearing a long black wool coat, frowned and looked at Nie Nie Liansheng with a serious expression.

Xiao Xiao Changqing, dressed in a military greatcoat, stood aside with an indifferent expression, saying nothing.

The one who had been speaking continuously to Nie Nie Liansheng was Yu Yu Decai, his attitude seeming to be one of pleading for something.

Nie Nie Liansheng's demeanor was very serious, his eyes fixed on the direction of the main gate.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu's vehicle enter, Yu Desheng stopped speaking with a very bad expression on his face and stepped back to stand behind Luo Jiaping.

Li Li Xuewu walked up the steps and shook hands with Nie Nie Liansheng.

Nie Nie Liansheng said in a gentle tone, "We were just waiting for you."

Li Li Xuewu nodded, glanced at the three from the Steel Rolling Plant standing aside, and said, "Director Luo, have you come to see me off?"

Luo Jiaping's expression paused for a moment, then he smiled and said, "Yes; hearing that Li Ke displayed great prowess and captured the lawbreaker Fu Fu Haibo, I brought comrades from the Steel Rolling Plant specifically to see you off."

"Too kind, too kind."

Li Li Xuewu replied with a chuckle, then turned to ask Nie Nie Liansheng, "Shall we proceed with the handover now?"

Nie Nie Liansheng nodded and said, "Anytime."

Li Li Xuewu turned to the three from the Steel Rolling Plant and said, "Then I must trouble you leaders to wait a moment; I'll go fetch Fu Fu Haibo first. Today, he is the main character, is he not?"

"Oh, by the way."

Just as he was about to head inside, Li Li Xuewu turned back to the three and said, "Fu Fu Haibo is currently a suspect; if anyone speaks to him when he comes out, or says something I don't understand, I will take him back to Jingcheng with me and question him slowly there."

Having said this, he paid no attention to the expressions on the three men's faces and walked inside.

These words made all three of them frown.

Seeing through things but not saying it aloud keeps one good friends.

It seemed this Li Li Xuewu would ultimately never become a friend of the Steel Rolling Plant.

After following Nie Nie Liansheng through the gate, they heard Nie Nie Liansheng say in a low voice, "They wanted to see Fu Fu Haibo, but I did not allow it."

Li Li Xuewu had guessed as much; he nodded and said, "Thank you."

The two entered the room, signed some documents, and then Nie Nie Liansheng took Li Li Xuewu to retrieve Fu Fu Haibo.

By this time, Fu Fu Haibo had been changed into new clothes: a blue-black padded jacket, padded trousers, and padded shoes, with the characters for "Detained" on his chest.

A comrade from the City Bureau handed Li Li Xuewu a bag containing Fu Fu Haibo's identification, wallet, watch, and other personal items; Fu Fu Haibo's original clothes and shoes were packed in another bag and loaded onto the vehicle.

Before taking Fu Fu Haibo out, Liu Liu Zhaolun and the City Bureau comrades worked together to remove the Bureau's handcuffs and replace them with the handcuffs and leg irons Li Li Xuewu's team had brought.

Finally, Han Zhan placed a black hood over Fu Fu Haibo's head; it blocked light, was breathable, and had no holes.

This was something the City Bureau did not have, so they looked at it with curiosity.

When Han Zhan and Liu Liu Zhaolun escorted Fu Fu Haibo out, Luo Jiaping and the others all stiffened their expressions, as if they themselves were being taken into custody.

Seeing their expressions, Li Li Xuewu smiled and said to Luo Jiaping, "Although I did not receive Director Luo's help this time, I believe that the next time I come, Director Luo will certainly not disappoint me."

Luo Jiaping narrowed his eyes at Li Li Xuewu and said, "Heh, certainly!"

"Heh."

Once the prisoner was loaded onto the vehicle, Li Li Xuewu shook hands with Nie Nie Liansheng and the others one by one to bid farewell, waved his hand, and got into the car.

Brother Brother Jiecheng stepped on the accelerator, driving out of the City Bureau compound and heading toward Jingcheng.

After leaving the City Bureau, Brother Brother Jiecheng said to Li Li Xuewu in the front passenger seat, "Li Kezhang, the comrades from the Gangcheng City Bureau just gave us large flatbreads, hot water bottles, and a thermos of hot water."

Li Li Xuewu looked at Brother Brother Jiecheng with some surprise, then heard him continue, "I gave them the two cartons of cigarettes you had given us."

"Mm."

Li Li Xuewu acknowledged with a sound, then asked, "What about that... Qin?"

Brother Brother Jiecheng said somewhat awkwardly, "I sent her home first to get an introduction letter; she will take tomorrow's train to Jingcheng."

Turning to look at Brother Brother Jiecheng, he said, "You'd better prepare yourself mentally."

Brother Brother Jiecheng nodded and said, "I understand."

In this era, there were no highways from the Northeast to Jingcheng, but the road conditions were not bad.

Whether during the Qing Dynasty or the later Republic of China, the connection between the Northeast and Jingcheng had always been particularly close.

The Northeast's products would continuously supply Jingcheng, so the road forged over several centuries was not difficult to travel.

They only stopped to refuel a few times, resting the people but not the vehicle as they rushed back.

Today was the day the Steel Rolling Plant guesthouse reopened; Xu Ning had specifically chosen such a sunny Sunday to invite the plant leadership over for a tour and guidance.

Li Li Huai De stood in the courtyard of the guesthouse, looking at the bright windows and clean tables, the entirely refreshed establishment, and couldn't help but say to Yang Yang Fengshan beside him: "Factory Director, when it comes to employing people, I truly admire you."

Yang Yang Fengshan glanced at Li Li Huai De, smiled, and said: "As leading cadres, selecting and employing personnel is what we ought to do; even I was quite surprised, hahaha."

"Who would deny it? The guesthouse before, hehe..."

Leaving some face for Yang Yang Fengshan, Li Li Huai De did not speak the rest of his words aloud, but the several people behind him all caught the sarcastic tone in Deputy Factory Director Li's voice.

A leader's matter is one's own matter; how could one let the leader lose face?

Xu Sinian smiled and picked up the conversation, saying: "Li Ke isn't here; even if several leaders praise him, he won't hear it, hahaha."

"Oh? Hahaha."

"I actually forgot about him."

"Indeed, on such a fine day, Li Ke, who should be presenting his achievements, is absent."

The leaders at the front burst into loud laughter, while Fu Bin, walking at the rear, secretly cursed, "Damn your mother."

If you're going to trade barbs, just trade barbs; why the hell bring up Li Li Xuewu? Who are you implying?

Having already received news from Steel City, Fu Bin's hair had turned completely white overnight, and dark spots and wrinkles had even appeared on his face.

Anyone could see Fu Bin's abnormality, yet everyone pretended not to notice; this was bureau politics.

Rumor had it that Fu Bin had gone to Yang Shuji's office, but Yang Shuji had made an excuse of urgently needing to report work to higher-level leaders and slipped away.

Since then, Fu Bin's condition had worsened day by day over these past few days.

Now the entire bureau knew that the factory leaders were actually waiting for one person, the man known as the Tiger of So-and-So.

Had Li Li Huai De not notified all division-level cadres to come here for inspection today, Fu Bin would not have prepared to leave his office.

Now he feared seeing the sun, especially under such scorching sunlight, where his full head of silver hair appeared all the more decrepit, especially given his severe hair loss in recent days.

Watching the suggestive laughter ahead and the glances occasionally sweeping over him from all sides, Fu Bin felt a chill.

Xu Ning directed the service staff in the guesthouse to stand before the door and applaud together, welcoming the factory leaders to visit and provide guidance.

Yang Yang Fengshan took the lead, following Xu Ning to shake hands with the entire group of female soldiers.

When shaking hands with these factory leaders, Xu Ning remained very reserved, with some offering encouragement, others saying "keep up the good work," and still others saying "guard against arrogance and rashness."

But when it came to the female attendants, the group of leaders could no longer remain reserved; facing young smiling faces and greetings, each one beamed with joy.

Moreover, while shaking hands, they all spoke words of encouragement, deeply fearing they might leave a harsh impression in the eyes of these attendants, thus all becoming kind and approachable.

After the meeting segment concluded, Xu Ning led the group of leaders to tour the Worker Service Department on the first floor.

Looking at the dazzling array of goods in the service department and the sales clerks dressed in the guesthouse's distinctive uniforms, Yang Yang Fengshan smiled and asked: "How many varieties of goods are here?"

Because the indoor temperature was high, the service staff inside the guesthouse wore slightly thinner blue collared jackets and blue slim-fit trousers.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhang Songying, serving as management personnel, wore a gray collared jacket and gray slim-fit trousers.

Her naturally slender and well-endowed figure was wrapped even more attractively in this gray uniform, making her appear all the more like a captivating older sister.

"Hello, Leader; I am Zhang Zhang Songying, the person in charge of the Service Department. Under Director Xu Ning's efforts, the Worker Service Department has reached a cooperation agreement with the D-City District Supply and Marketing Cooperative, achieving full-coverage procurement of supply and marketing goods."

Zhang Zhang Songying, inherently straightforward and generous in character, had made tremendous progress in both speech and demeanor after receiving over half a month of training.

"To meet the needs of comrades staying and recuperating at the guesthouse, we specifically procured thirteen categories comprising eighty-nine types of goods that match actual requirements for your selection; should there be a need, we will contact the Supply and Marketing Cooperative in real time to replenish stock."

"Very well answered."

Factory Director Yang, leading the group, clapped while offering a word of praise to Zhang Zhang Songying.

Xu Ning, however, remained very humble, stating: "It is all due to the leaders' concern, giving us time to improve and learn."

Glancing at Xu Ning, who remained calm and composed, Yang Yang Fengshan smiled without saying anything; he actually wanted to repeat what Li Li Huai De had said to him to Li Li Xuewu.

When it comes to employing people, this Li Li Xuewu is also quite skilled.

After viewing the front desk, Xu Ning led them to tour the conference room on the first floor and the multi-function hall on the second floor.

Then, Qin Qin Huairu from the Guest Room Section led them to tour the multi-bed rooms, double rooms, single rooms, and the special guest rooms on the fourth floor.

From the surprised expressions on the faces of Factory Director Yang and other factory leaders, one could see their satisfaction and appreciation for the guesthouse's work.

Especially when introducing the special guest rooms on the fourth floor, Qin Qin Huairu handed over the positioning and usage permissions of the guest rooms to the factory leaders.

This had been previously agreed upon by Xu Ning and Li Li Xuewu, and was also the reason Li Li Huai De supported Xu Ning.

Yang Yang Fengshan looked at the decoration on the fourth floor and the service standards at the service counter by the door, feeling in his heart that his brother-in-law being dealt with was not undeserved.

Li Li Huai De, smiling broadly as he looked at the room's decoration and equipment facilities, nodded to Xu Ning.

When Xu Ning arranged for the group of leaders to dine at Xiaoshitang, watching the dishes continuously being served to the tables, the factory leaders' stomachs were conquered, and so were their persons.

Not only were the dishes beautifully arranged, but the people arranging them were also good-looking.

Xu Ning had taken Li Li Xuewu's advice, fully utilizing the advantages of those Misses transferred from the Service Department; wherever one looked regarding accommodation, dining, recuperation, and other projects, it was all a scenic view.

Therefore, even today, the two directors of the Logistics Department and the Service Department were sent off by Xu Ning with smiles on their faces.

Before leaving, they even guaranteed to Xu Ning that the Service Department and Logistics Department would select and transfer more people over.

This was because right after eating and drinking their fill, Li Li Huai De, in front of Factory Director Yang, asked Xu Ning if he had any difficulties or needs.

Could this possibly stump Xu Ning?

Since the leaders had spoken, wouldn't any difficulty become possible?

What Xu Ning said at the time was: "Distinguished Leaders, now that the guesthouse has resumed operations, what we need most is the support of all you leaders; only with your support can we attract guests; we welcome all leaders to come here for dining and to provide work guidance."

As for difficulties, they were: "Due to a shortage of personnel, we still need to open sports facilities, garden walking paths, fishing, and other activities for accommodating guests in the future."

Without even needing Li Li Huai De to consult Factory Director Yang, Fat Zhang from both the Service Department and the Logistics Department immediately stated they would return and transfer people over right away.

After sending off the group of visiting leaders, the guesthouse officially opened.

Not many people came to stay here today, as it was year-end and business operations generally tried to avoid this period, so after Qin Qin Huairu followed Xu Ning to see off the leaders, she returned to the office behind the front desk.

No matter how hard she racked her brains, Qin Qin Huairu never imagined that one day she would become an office-based bureau personnel.

Even less did she imagine that she would become management personnel.

Reaching out, she took all the keys hanging at the fourth-floor room positions from the key board, thought for a moment, then took one room's key from the double-room positions on the third floor, locked the fourth-floor keys in her drawer.

"Xiao Yang, if anyone asks about the rooms on the fourth floor, just say they're all occupied."

"Yes, Li Kezhang Qin."

Xiao Yang at the front desk agreed first, then asked with confusion, "Li Kezhang Qin, this... why is that?"

Qin Qin Huairu did not scold Xiao Yang for asking directly, but patiently explained, "The rooms on the fourth floor are reserved for leaders and important guests, generally arranged by the factory leadership."

"Oh, oh."

Xiao Yang nodded, smiling as he thanked Qin Qin Huairu, "Thank you, Qin Jie... Li Kezhang Qin."

Qin Qin Huairu smiled, patted Xiao Yang's arm, and said, "Call me Qin Jie after work; it sounds more affectionate."

"Okay."

Xiao Yang agreed, thinking the section chief of the guest rooms was truly nice, and smiled as he continued his duty.

Qin Qin Huairu turned and went upstairs to continue inspecting the rooms.

During this period of training, not only did Zhang Zhang Songying and others learn and improve their service levels, but Qin Qin Huairu also learned to transition from a worker to a management role.

When Li Li Xuewu was home, he would occasionally ask Li Li Xuewu how to manage people, and today she began to put that into use.

Going up to the third floor, she used the key in her hand to open a double-occupancy guest room.

It featured an independent bathroom and shower, a large double bed, white sheets, and dark blue curtains.

Looking at the tidy, brand-new room, she thought of the person who had traveled far away.

"Put some muscle into it!"

"Hey!"

"It's caught, it's caught!"

Yan Brother Jiecheng shouted to Li Li Xuewu and the others pushing the car from behind; Li Li Xuewu huffed out a cloud of white breath, circled to the front, pulled open the door, and climbed into the vehicle.

The GAZ-69, covered in mud and snow, let out a roar and continued moving toward the direction where the city walls were already visible in the distance.

Speaking of bad luck, this GAZ-69 had caused no trouble for Li Li Xuewu and the others throughout the entire journey, only to break down just as they were about to reach their destination.

Yan Brother Jiecheng fiddled with it for over an hour using his half-baked repair knowledge before finally getting it fixed.

They had to push it for another stretch before the engine finally caught fire.

The GAZ-69 did not go to the Steel Rolling Factory outside the city but went directly to the sub-bureau.

Originally, Fu Fu Haibo should have been taken to Jiaodaokou or Beixinqiao for interrogation, with the lead investigator or case jurisdiction belonging to the Steel Rolling Factory, but because there was also Jing Jing Yongjie in the vehicle.

Although Jing Jing Yongjie's death resulted from various reasons, he was ultimately the one Li Li Xuewu had taken out, and now returning with a corpse, Li Li Xuewu had to give an explanation to the sub-bureau.

That explanation was that Fu Fu Haibo's case would be handled at the sub-bureau.

Moreover, on the way, Li Li Xuewu had already instructed that the primary merit for this operation should be credited to Jing Jing Yongjie, as it was he who disregarded his own safety to find the clues leading to Fu Fu Haibo's capture.

Han Zhan, Liu Liu Zhaolun, and the others were all security personnel from the Steel Rolling Factory; they did not care who received the primary merit, caring far more about Li Li Xuewu's words.

In their eyes, Li Li Xuewu's words were more valuable than primary merit or any other accolade.

The sub-bureau was already waiting for Li Li Xuewu, as before departing, Li Li Xuewu had placed a call to them from the Gangcheng Sub-bureau.

Although there was no detailed report, they already knew about Jing Jing Yongjie's sacrifice.

As soon as the car entered the courtyard, a group of people rushed out from the sub-bureau compound's duty room, startling Yan Brother Jiecheng into quickly turning the steering wheel and slamming on the brakes.

Among those rushing over were a middle-aged couple, followed by two young men, and behind them, Seeing Sha Zhu supporting He Yu Shui, who was crying uncontrollably.

Further behind were Bureau Chief Zheng, Shen Fang, Chief Duan Youting, and others.

Li Li Xuewu jumped out of the car, walked to the rear door with a grave expression, and together with Han Zhan, who had opened the door and jumped out first, Liu Liu Zhaolun standing on the vehicle, and several people from the guard room who came to help, they lifted Jing Jing Yongjie's corpse down.

As soon as the body was lowered, the middle-aged couple, who appeared to be Jing Jing Yongjie's parents, threw themselves forward.

The middle-aged woman wailed Jing Jing Yongjie's childhood name, while the middle-aged man gripped Jing Jing Yongjie's hand and refused to let go.

Li Li Xuewu and the others worked together to place Jing Jing Yongjie onto a stretcher that had been prepared, allowing the sub-bureau personnel to carry him to a duty room that had been temporarily cleared out.

After sending Jing Jing Yongjie off, Li Li Xuewu and the others escorted Fu Fu Haibo down from the vehicle.

Pulling off Fu Fu Haibo's black hood, Li Li Xuewu looked at Fu Fu Haibo, who kept his eyes closed to avoid the stimulating light, and called out, "Fu Fu Haibo."

Fu Fu Haibo squinted, looked at Li Li Xuewu, scanned the surroundings, and finally looked toward the duty room where the crying was coming from.

Li Li Xuewu confirmed Fu Fu Haibo's condition and handed him over to the comrades who had come to take custody.

Bureau Chief Zheng, accompanied by Shen Fang and Chief Duan Youting, had been standing nearby the whole time; only after Li Li Xuewu finished his tasks did he lead Li Li Xuewu to another duty room.

Since this side faced the sun, the temperature inside the single-story building was relatively high; Li Li Xuewu removed his mud-caked mittens, took off his cotton hat, and saluted Bureau Chief Zheng.

"I apologize, Leader; due to my error, the mission went awry, resulting in the sacrifice of Comrade Jing Jing Yongjie."

Zheng Zheng Fuhua looked at Li Li Xuewu, who was travel-worn and covered in mud and snow, with a complexion that was equally poor, knowing this trip had not been easy.

"Tell me the situation first."

Li Li Xuewu placed his mittens and hat aside, sat on the edge of the earth kang, and briefed Zheng Zheng Fuhua on the events of the journey.

He neither exaggerated the facts nor concealed the actual circumstances, even providing a detailed explanation of the reasons behind Jing Jing Yongjie's sacrifice.

However, at the end of his statement, Li Li Xuewu expressed his own thoughts and plans.

Zheng Zheng Fuhua smoked, frowning without speaking.

Chief Duan Youting, sitting opposite, said with a face full of regret, "It's my fault; at the time I intended to bring Old Song, but Xiao Jing insisted he wanted to go, saying he wanted this opportunity; he said he postponed his Wedding Date specifically for this rare chance."

Shen Fang also wore a bitter expression, smoking as he said, "Why bring this up? If we're talking like that, then since I proposed setting the deputy director position of our station as the goal to motivate the comrades, I should be blamed too."

"Hah!"

Zheng Zheng Fuhua exhaled a puff of smoke, frowned, and said, "Blame whom? Is this your first day as police officers? This is what we do; which one of us isn't ready to make the ultimate sacrifice at any moment?"

As he spoke, he took a drag from the cigarette in his hand and extinguished it in the ashtray before him.

"Proceed according to Comrade Li Xuewu's opinion; the documentation for Jing Jing Yongjie's merit shall be submitted by your joint command headquarters, I will approve it, report it to Gao Ju, and ensure Jing Jing Yongjie's honors are implemented as soon as possible."

The several people in the room remained silent upon hearing Bureau Chief Zheng's words; everyone desires such honors, but if they must be exchanged for a life, everyone in the room felt regret and sorrow for Jing Jing Yongjie, after all, he was just a young man in his early twenties.

While they were talking, the door to the duty room was knocked open, and the man who had earlier appeared to be Jing Jing Yongjie's father entered along with Seeing Sha Zhu.

Zheng Zheng Fuhua stood up along with Li Li Xuewu and the others.

The middle-aged man, who appeared to be a cadre, shook hands with Zheng Zheng Fuhua, then shook hands with Li Li Xuewu, saying, "You've worked hard."

Li Li Xuewu nodded slightly and said, "I am ashamed; it was my fault, I'm sorry..."

"No, no need to apologize."

Jing Jing Yongjie's father shook his head; although he could not hide his grief, he spoke firmly to Li Li Xuewu: "From the moment he chose this profession, I told him to be prepared for this, and we too were prepared."

Zheng Zheng Fuhua offered seats to Father Jing and Seeing Sha Zhu; after everyone sat down, Father Jing said to Li Li Xuewu and the others, "As his father, I know Jing Yongjie's character, so I do not blame you, I do not blame you."

Li Li Xuewu offered a cigarette to Father Jing, lit it for him, and then said, "Jing Jing Yongjie acted bravely; he was a hot-blooded, fine young man."

Father Jing nodded and said, "Hearing that my son was brave leaves me with no regrets."

Li Li Xuewu selected what could be shared and told Father Jing about Jing Jing Yongjie's conduct and the process of his sacrifice.

In the duty room next door, Father Jing had actually already learned how Jing Jing Yongjie had sacrificed himself.

Yet upon hearing Li Li Xuewu's account, he still could not help but shed tears.

"It was I who put pressure on him, coupled with his mother's strict demands; that is why this child was so determined to excel."

In fact, from the few words Li Li Xuewu had carefully chosen to speak, Father Jing had already discerned the reason for his son's sacrifice, which was why he made such a remark.

The several people in the room all knew that Father Jing was explaining the reason why Jing Jing Yongjie had fought so desperately, risking his life.

But since Jing Jing Yongjie was lying in the room next door, none of the people present wished to ask further about this matter.

Father Jing said in a low voice, "I am endlessly grateful that you were able to bring him back; please do not blame yourselves."

As he spoke, he patted Li Li Xuewu's hand, which was resting beside him.

Zheng Zheng Fuhua said to Li Li Xuewu, "You've been exhausted from the journey; go home and rest for a day, and we will continue handling this case tomorrow."

After speaking, he gestured to Shen Fang and the others, signaling them to go out.

It seemed he intended to discuss Jing Jing Yongjie's funeral arrangements with Father Jing.

Father Jing also patted Li Li Xuewu's hand and said, "Go on; you are all fine young men."

Li Li Xuewu stood up, formally saluted Father Jing, and then followed Shen Fang and the others out of the room.

Standing in the courtyard, Shen Fang patted Li Li Xuewu's back, then patted Chief Duan Youting's back.

"The case must still be handled, and handled well; we bear the weight of too many expectant gazes, so even stopping to grieve is a luxury."

Chief Duan Youting lowered his head, sighed, and said, "Jing Jing Yongjie's father works in our ministry; although his rank is not high, he is a veteran of long standing. His eldest brother is with the X-City Branch Bureau, and his second brother is over in Tianmen; like you, he was also promoted to Deputy Division Chief this year."

Li Li Xuewu exhaled a breath, suddenly beginning to understand why Jing Jing Yongjie had been so eager to advance during their first meeting.

He also began to understand why Jing Jing Yongjie had been so obsessed with achieving merit.

Families stuck in such an uncertain position actually place tremendous pressure on their children.

One step upward might lead to a completely different sky; one step backward might make it impossible ever to recover.

Class distinctions have not been eliminated even in writing, and they will never be eliminated from the human heart.

"Li Xuewu!"

Li Li Xuewu turned around and saw Seeing Sha Zhu walking out of the duty room, his face filled with sorrow and grief.

He had received news from his sister last night and had gone immediately to her home to stay with her through the night.

Today, he had come early to the Branch Bureau along with his sister's entire family, waiting here.

Walking up to Li Li Xuewu, Seeing Sha Zhu wanted to say something but hesitated, stopping himself.

Li Li Xuewu patted Seeing Sha Zhu's shoulder and said, "Whatever you have to say can wait until tonight when we return; take good care of He Yu Shui."

Seeing Sha Zhu looked at Li Li Xuewu and said, "Tonight I want to take He Yu Shui home with me."

Seeing Li Li Xuewu looking at him, Seeing Sha Zhu explained, "He Yu Shui cried all night last night; she cried looking at the washbasin, cried looking at the desk, cried looking at everything the two of them had prepared; I truly cannot rest easy about her."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I will go back and tell Sister-in-Law Yu Li to have her stay in my room; I will move to the side house."

Seeing Sha Zhu shook his head and said, "No need; let He Yu Shui sleep in my room."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and asked Seeing Sha Zhu, "Her emotions are unstable right now; what she needs is companionship. What do you plan to do?"

Seeing that Seeing Sha Zhu looked as if he wanted to ask, Li Li Xuewu said, "The New Year is approaching soon, and there isn't much work at the Recycling Station anyway; it would be better to have Sister-in-Law Yu Li accompany her. You're a man, after all, and ultimately not detailed enough; besides, it would be difficult for you to get leave from the Rolling Steel Factory."

Seeing Sha Zhu thought for a moment, then said to Li Li Xuewu, "You think of everything; let's do it your way. Have Yu Li accompany her and stay in my room; I'll sleep in the small room."

Regarding Seeing Sha Zhu's arrangements, Li Li Xuewu said nothing more, only remarking, "If there is any need, speak to Lao Lao Biaozi."

Seeing Sha Zhu nodded, and seeing Li Li Xuewu's face full of exhaustion, said, "You go back."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and walked toward the several people waiting by the vehicle.

Seeing that they were all covered in mud and dust, Li Li Xuewu asked Brother Brother Jiecheng, "Are you going back to the Big Courtyard?"

Brother Brother Jiecheng hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I'll go to the Rolling Steel Factory."

Li Li Xuewu neither affirmed nor denied this, pointed at the mud-caked vehicle, and said to the group, "Brother Brother Jiecheng will first take me back to the Big Courtyard, then take Han Zhan home, and finally take you two, Liu Liu Zhaolun and him, back to the Rolling Steel Factory."

The several people nodded and got into the vehicle.

They were simply too tired and too sleepy; there was no mood left for conversation.