Chapter 328: Is There Any Water?

Li Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I've been busy with this matter these past few days. Fu Fu Haibo has confessed to everything, including but not limited to the criminal acts of Fu Bin, Luo Jiaping, and others."

"Bang!"

Li Li Huai De, his face gloomy, slapped the document onto the desk and shouted angrily, "A bad apple! A fox in the city, a rat in the shrine!"

Li Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Fortunately, under your supervision and management, Fu Bin did not carry out any criminal activities within the Rolling Steel Factory; at most, he merely excluded dissidents and promoted his own cronies."

After mentioning Fu Bin, Li Li Xuewu frowned again and said, "However, the situation at the Gangcheng Branch Factory is far from optimistic; there is a possibility of a complete collapse among the cadres."

"Has it become that serious?"

Li Li Xuewu nodded solemnly and said, "The Gangcheng Branch Factory does not have an impartial supervisor like you. From the fact that my investigation into Fu Fu Haibo was obstructed, one can see that problems have arisen on a large scale at the Gangcheng Branch Factory."

Leaning forward, Li Li Xuewu frowned and shook his head, saying, "Rome wasn't built in a day."

"My heart aches!"

Anger and regret mingled on Li Li Huai De's face as he spoke painfully to Li Li Xuewu, "He has been an old comrade since our factory was first established. I never expected him to go astray because of his children. It is my fault for not showing enough concern."

Li Li Xuewu grinned slightly; watching Li Li Huai De's performance, he still admired Deputy Factory Director Li's acting skills, having witnessed them once before.

Who would have thought that as the New Year approached, Deputy Factory Director Li's acting skills would have improved even further!

Could it be that he has been practicing constantly at home?

To learn and then practice it from time to time, is this not a pleasure?

Sigh, there must be some reason why he became Deputy Factory Director; just based on this diligence and eagerness to learn, Li Li Xuewu had to give Deputy Factory Director Li a thumbs-up.

"Leader, if you put it that way, then I must offer you some advice; please do not blame me for criticizing you!"

Taken aback by Li Li Xuewu's words, Li Li Huai De's rhythm of performance was disrupted, his expression freezing slightly in unnatural hesitation.

He wondered what medicine Li Li Xuewu had taken, daring to offer him advice and dare to criticize him.

"Oh? I welcome comrades offering me advice; no one is perfect!"

Li Li Huai De narrowed his eyes, looking at Li Li Xuewu as he said, "If I have made mistakes, I too must accept criticism."

Li Li Xuewu spoke very seriously to Li Li Huai De, "What dissatisfies me most about you is that you always take all responsibilities and blame upon yourself; this is a major problem."

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Li Huai De's expression instantly froze; he looked at Li Li Xuewu, at a loss for what to say.

Damn, so sudden, you've left me speechless.

Ignoring the change in Li Li Huai De's expression, Li Li Xuewu continued his "criticism," "Previously, with that whole affair involving Wang Wang Jindong, you took the blame and responsibility upon yourself; I told you about it back then."

"If a section chief makes a mistake, can the responsibility still be traced back to you? Then what exactly is Fu Bin good for?"

"This... Comrade Li Xuewu..."

Before Li Li Huai De could finish speaking, Li Li Xuewu interrupted, "Furthermore, Fu Bin did not commit his errors at the main Rolling Steel Factory; what does this have to do with you? No one saw through his disguise; this is not your fault!"

"Cough, cough! Comrade Li Xuewu, the words..."

"Even if we say you didn't pay enough attention to Fu Bin, there are tens of thousands of employees at the Rolling Steel Factory; are you saying that every employee whose children make mistakes should push the responsibility onto you?"

Li Li Xuewu emphasized to Li Li Huai De with a stern voice and a severe expression, "I believe that thinking and acting this way is wrong and deserves criticism!"

Seeing that Li Li Xuewu had finally finished his "criticism," Li Li Huai De nodded with a face full of guilt and said to Li Li Xuewu, "Comrade Li Xuewu is right to criticize me; I have committed an error of subjective idealism. I accept your criticism, and I ask Comrade Li Xuewu to forgive me and continue to supervise me in correcting my mistakes in the future."

"Ah, that's more like it!"

Li Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I truly admire your attitude toward admitting mistakes; this is an excellent style of work that we should all learn from you."

Li Li Huai De tapped the document on the desk and said, "So, according to your meaning...?"

Looking into Li Li Huai De's eyes, Li Li Xuewu said, "Cut out the tumor, clear the source of the poison, and purge the toxic influence."

"Oh?"

Li Li Huai De patted Li Li Xuewu, asking him to wait a moment, then picked up the telephone on the desk and called Yang Shuji of the Discipline Inspection Commission.

On the phone, Li Li Huai De did not say much, only stating that there was an urgent situation requiring coordination with Yang Shuji to hold a meeting at Factory Director Yang's office.

Yang Shuji, who was upstairs, had seen Li Li Xuewu enter the office building and probably already knew what matter was to be discussed.

Therefore, during the phone call with Li Li Huai De, they agreed to hold the meeting in Factory Director Yang's office in ten minutes.

Li Li Huai De put down the phone receiver and said to Li Li Xuewu, "This matter cannot bypass Yang Shuji of the Discipline Inspection Commission."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and said, "You are indeed more comprehensive in your thinking; my experience in overseeing the overall situation is still lacking, and I still need to continue learning from you."

"Hahaha!"

Li Li Huai De waved his hand and said with a smile, "That's enough; at your age, achieving what you have already surprises us old comrades."

While speaking, he picked up the telephone receiver again, dialing as he said, "You are still young, with plenty of time to grow and learn; your future achievements will inevitably surpass those of our generation."

Li Li Xuewu spoke humbly, "I truly dare not harbor such delusions; if I could merely possess your insight and ability, it would be a stroke of heavenly luck."

"Hahaha, you!"

Li Li Huai De pointed at Li Li Xuewu, then smilingly placed the receiver to his ear.

"Xu Suozhang, is Factory Director Yang available?"

"Mm, Yang Shuji and I have important matters to report."

"Mm, good."

The person Li Li Huai De called was not Factory Director Yang, but Xu Sinian, the Director of the Factory Director's Office.

"Alright, alright, I will report to Factory Director Yang immediately."

"Good, good."

Xu Sinian put down the phone and crushed the cigarette butt in his hand into the ashtray before him.

Standing up, he glanced at the Security Building and muttered, "That bastard is about to face the blade!"

After muttering, he walked out of his office and headed toward the Factory Director's office.

When Li Li Xuewu followed Li Li Huai De to the Factory Director's office, Yang Shuji was already there, sitting opposite Yang Yang Fengshan at his desk.

"We are late."

Leading Li Li Xuewu into the office, Li Li Huai De glanced at his watch and said this to Yang Yang Fengshan and the other person.

Xu Si followed behind Li Li Xuewu, and as Li Li Xuewu and the others took their seats, he had already directed the secretary who had come along to pour freshly brewed tea for everyone.

"No, I arrived early."

Yang Shuji glanced at Li Li Xuewu standing behind Li Li Huai De, and at the documents in Li Li Xuewu's hands.

Then he smiled and said, "Hearing you say there was important matter to report, I came over early to wait."

Upon hearing this, Li Li Huai De waved his hand at the secretary who had finished pouring the tea.

Xu Si understood the gesture, patted the secretary on the shoulder, and escorted him out the door.

He then closed the door tightly, took up his notebook, sat on the sofa, and faced the group, ready to take meeting minutes.

This was Xu Si's duty; the role of Office Director was not merely that of a general household manager for the bureau; there were many matters to oversee.

Especially for meetings of this confidential nature, he absolutely had to take the minutes himself.

At this moment, the smile had vanished from Li Li Huai De's face, replaced by grave seriousness, as he signaled Li Li Xuewu to hand the documents in his hands to Factory Director Yang and Yang Shuji.

Only after the two had taken the documents did Li Li Huai De speak: "Scum! I never expected that right beside us there would be two such harmful elements."

Hearing Li Li Huai De's words, Yang Yang Fengshan glanced at Li Li Huai De, then furrowed his brow and continued reading the documents in his hands.

Li Li Xuewu had prepared three copies of the evidence and review documents concerning Fu Bin, Luo Jiaping, and others.

He had originally thought he would need to report to them one by one, but he had not expected Li Li Huai De to be so cautious and careful that he would not even bear such a risk.

No wonder this man could ride the wind and break the waves this year, and continue to act as he pleased even after the opening-up.

Yang Shuji placed the finished documents on the table, looked at Li Li Xuewu, and asked, "Are these circumstances true?"

Li Li Xuewu glanced at Yang Yang Fengshan, who was also putting his documents back on the table, and explained, "We discovered some clues while cracking down on cases of public order disturbances in the workers' residential area, but I dared not confirm who was truly behind the scenes."

"But as the investigation into the cases progressed further, clues involving Fu Changhua, Fu Fu Haibo, and others slowly emerged."

Li Li Xuewu flipped the documents to the page reporting Fu Fu Haibo's issues, then continued, "After Fu Changhua was captured, I led a team far northeast to arrest Fu Fu Haibo."

"However, we encountered fierce resistance from Fu Fu Haibo and others; one officer from the branch bureau sacrificed his life, and one cadre from the Rolling Steel Factory was injured."

"Bang!"

Yang Yang Fengshan slapped the table and said, "Audacious to the extreme!"

Yang Shuji also nodded, saying, "Our supervision of cadres has been insufficient; we bear responsibility."

Yang Yang Fengshan waved his hand, saying, "Now is not the time to assign blame."

Then, turning to Li Li Xuewu, he said, "Comrade Li Xuewu, please continue."

"Yes."

Li Li Xuewu continued, "While tracking Fu Fu Haibo's whereabouts, I discovered that individuals including, but not limited to, Luo Jiaping, director of the Gangcheng branch factory, and Xiao Xiao Changqing, head of the Security Department, refused to cooperate, remained silent, or adopted an attitude of shielding Fu Fu Haibo's whereabouts."

"What are they trying to do?!"

Yang Yang Fengshan's expression was grim; pointing at the table with his finger, he said, "Every single item listed here is a slap in our faces!"

Yang Shuji looked at the documents on the table and said, "Indeed, I never expected Fu Bin, for the sake of political gain, would go so far as to break the law and commit crimes, and moreover make such grave errors regarding his children."

Yang Yang Fengshan picked up the cigarettes from the table, tossed one to Li Li Xuewu and the others, lit his own, and then said, "Let's discuss it and see what we should do."

Yang Shuji flipped through the documents in his hand, glanced at Yang Yang Fengshan, and said, "Comrade Li Li Xuewu is both the case officer for our Rolling Steel Factory and the case officer for the branch bureau; I wonder, should we hear Comrade Li Li Xuewu's opinion?"

"Mm."

Yang Yang Fengshan nodded and said, "The branch bureau being able to transfer Comrade Li Li Xuewu to serve as Deputy Director of the Public Security Department is not only an honor for Comrade Li Li Xuewu himself, but also an honor for our Rolling Steel Factory."

"Although harmful elements like Fu Bin have appeared, the flaws do not obscure the jade; the Security Section has achieved results."

After affirming Li Li Xuewu's actions, Yang Yang Fengshan said to Li Li Huai De, "Comrade Li Huai De, you are the deputy factory director in charge of the Security Department; what is your opinion?"

Li Li Huai De nodded and said to Factory Director Yang, "Li Kezhang communicated with me about this matter beforehand, and I have also heard Comrade Li Li Xuewu's report and suggestions."

As he spoke, he explained to Yang Yang Fengshan and the other the opinions Li Li Xuewu had stated: excising the tumor, clearing the source of poison, and purging the toxic influence.

Yang Yang Fengshan and Yang Shuji exchanged glances, both seeing surprise and astonishment in each other's eyes.

What neither had expected was that Li Li Xuewu, whom they regarded as a technical talent, could propose such a piercingly accurate opinion at a political level.

Receiving Yang Yang Fengshan's signal, Yang Shuji said to Li Li Xuewu with a serious tone, "Comrade Li Li Xuewu, please elaborate on your thoughts in detail."

Li Li Xuewu tapped the ash from his cigarette into Yang Yang Fengshan's ashtray, then explained, "The first thing we must do now is excise the tumor."

This phrasing was a metaphor, referring to a medical procedure, but what it meant, everyone present knew.

Since Li Li Xuewu's family had studied medicine for generations, none of the three found it surprising that he could propose this theory; rather, they found it very apt.

"The main problems existing among people like Fu Bin and Luo Jiaping lie in their failure to meet standards in ideological and political construction."

"Fu Bin, as Director of the Rolling Steel Factory's Security Department, and Luo Jiaping, as Director of the Gangcheng Steelmaking Branch Factory, have lost their political bottom line, their ideals and beliefs have collapsed, they have failed in their primary responsibilities, and they have wielded power arbitrarily."

"Secondly, regarding lifestyle, Fu Bin pursued enjoyment; besides the housing allocated by the unit, he acquired another courtyard for his own pleasure."

"Regarding his children, he exercised lax discipline, shielding and protecting children who had already broken the law and committed crimes, pleading on their behalf, and smoothing over their criminal blemishes."

"Luo Jiaping's private life was in utter chaos; by day he acted as factory director, by night as a boss."

"According to Fu Fu Haibo's confession, Luo Jiaping participated in his speculative buying and selling, privately operated scarce materials, and ran venues for illegal criminal activities, reaping massive benefits and profits; it is simply the most ridiculous thing under heaven."

Listening to Li Li Xuewu's report, Yang Yang Fengshan and Yang Yang Yuansong nodded frequently, expressing strong agreement with the issues Li Li Xuewu had highlighted.

Li Li Huai De, meanwhile, looked at Li Li Xuewu with appreciation; he was aware of Li Li Xuewu's foundation in literary accomplishment.

The Security Section being able to make its work stand out was largely due to the reports Li Li Xuewu had written.

Now that Li Li Xuewu had also demonstrated extraordinary potential in political literacy, Li Li Huai De felt he had gained another great general under his command.

Li Li Xuewu, who was determined to play the role of the hidden sixth player, did not yet know what Li Li Huai De thought of him, but regardless of what Li Li Huai De thought, Li Li Xuewu was not worried, because whatever Li Li Huai De could think was exactly what Li Li Xuewu had led him to think.

Pointing at the documents on the table, Li Li Xuewu said, "Excising the tumor means swiftly and strictly punishing the ringleaders of the criminal group headed by Fu Bin, Luo Jiaping, and others."

Yang Yang Fengshan nodded and said, "I agree with Comrade Li Li Xuewu's opinion; excising the tumor will not hinder our development; rather, we can now restore a healthy and normal political ecology as quickly as possible with minimal cost."

Li Li Huai De nodded and said, "Li Kezhang, the evidence you have provided is already quite sufficient; I agree with your opinion. Yang Shuji, what is your opinion?"

Yang Yang Yuansong looked at Li Li Huai De, then said to Li Li Xuewu, "I agree with Comrade Li Li Xuewu's opinion; Comrade Li Li Xuewu's identification of Fu Bin and others is very clear, and the case investigation is quite thorough; I believe it can serve as the basis for initiating review procedures."

There was meaning behind the words spoken by all three; Li Li Xuewu could perceive it, and Xu Si, seeing Li Li Xuewu nod, was also surprised.

He had thought this "young brother" was intelligent and understood politics, but he hadn't expected him to understand it to such an extent.

Li Li Xuewu took a drag of his cigarette and continued, "Secondly, we must eliminate the source of the poison and investigate the reasons behind the problems arising with Fu Bin and Luo Jiaping."

"Both Fu Bin and Luo Jiaping engaged in irregular selection and appointment of cadres, promising official positions and favors, and appointing people based on nepotism."

"The two established their own personal political cliques and small groups; this was equivalent to building their own little imperial courts."

Regarding the analysis of the reasons for the problems arising with the two men, Li Li Xuewu also provided specific examples for illustration.

"The case of Fu Fu Haibo is the result of indulgence by both Fu Bin and Luo Jiaping!"

"Luo Jiaping's failure to supervise and manage Fu Fu Haibo was naturally an act of indulgence; I believe this is an extension of Luo Jiaping's behavior in cultivating confidants, granting cadres within his own clique unlimited space to expand their power."

Yang Yang Yuansong nodded and said, "On the surface, Luo Jiaping's behavior appears to be tolerance toward subordinates, but in essence, it is shielding the interests of small cliques and factions."

"Mm-hmm."

Li Li Huai De, hearing this, narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "I agree with the opinions of Li Kezhang Ke and Yang Shuji; regarding the elimination of toxic influences mentioned by Comrade Li Li Xuewu, let me offer my own views."

Flicking ash into the ashtray before him, he continued, "To thoroughly eliminate the pernicious influence of Fu Bin and Luo Jiaping, we must firmly re-establish the trampled disciplines and rules, correct the misguided ideologies and values, and restore the corrupted organizational conduct."

Looking at Li Li Huai De, who appeared 'clear as water and bright as a mirror,' Li Li Xuewu would have actually believed his nonsense if he hadn't accepted the New Year's gifts sent by Lao Lao Biaozi before the New Year.

"In response to the severe consequences produced by Fu Bin, Luo Jiaping, and others, I suggest carrying out cleanup and rectification, especially in the Security Department where Fu Bin was stationed and the Steel City Steelmaking Branch Factory where Luo Jiaping was located; the toxic influences of Fu Bin, Luo Jiaping, and others must be thoroughly eliminated."

This could also be seen as a probe by Li Li Huai De to expand the scope of investigation and increase the intensity of the crackdown.

All that had been said before was merely leading up to this moment of revealing one's true intentions.

Li Li Xuewu interpreted Li Li Huai De's probe as an attempt to test the limits of Yang Yang Fengshan's authority.

Because the branch factory had always been under Yang Yang Fengshan's jurisdiction, Li Li Huai De had long coveted and sought to encroach upon this portion of authority.

Therefore, riding on the east wind blown by Li Li Xuewu, he wished to test the barriers of authority that Yang Yang Fengshan had consistently established.

Yang Yang Fengshan's brows remained furrowed, and the cigarette in his mouth was already the second one he had lit.

Seeing that the situation here had reached a stalemate, Xu Sinian stood up, picked up the teapot from the coffee table, walked over to the office desk, and refilled everyone's cups.

Li Li Xuewu glanced at Xu Sinian; this man truly possessed a heart of seven apertures and eight clevernesses, with more schemes than a honeycomb has holes.

Xu Sinian turned sideways and exchanged a glance with Li Li Xuewu but said nothing.

"Those who eradicate evil must examine its root; those who treat illness must cut off its source!"

Factory Director Yang took a drag of his cigarette, slowly opened his mouth, and gazed into the void, his eyes not focusing on anyone in particular.

"I agree to thoroughly and completely eliminate the toxic influence of the Fu Bin and Luo Jiaping cases; furthermore, I propose establishing a working group to lead and organize the further deepening of ideological cleanup, reshaping beliefs and rules, and returning to authenticity and true color."

Hearing Factory Director Yang's opinion, Yang Yang Yuansong glanced at Li Li Huai De, knowing in his heart that the Factory Director had broken Li Li Huai De's overt scheme.

You want the authority to handle this matter, don't you? Very well, I will give it, but not to you personally; I will give it to the working group.

This working group cannot possibly consist of a single person, nor can it represent the interests of just one side.

Therefore, this imposes the greatest restriction on Li Li Huai De's overt scheme and places the final distribution of interests squarely on the table.

Yang Shuji could see through these schemes and overt maneuvers, yet he still wished to resolve the issues of this case; now, the pressure had shifted onto his shoulders.

"Fu Bin and Luo Jiaping are the highest-ranking cadres investigated for disciplinary and legal violations since the establishment of our factory."

Yang Yang Yuansong emphasized, "Their actions have completely betrayed the purpose of the organization, seriously trampled organizational discipline and the law, caused severe damage to our cause, brought serious harm to the good working atmosphere of the Rolling Steel Factory, and created immense confusion among the thoughts of workers and cadres."

"Their toxic influence is extremely pernicious, being both comprehensive and deep-seated."

"Only by thoroughly eliminating this toxic influence can we genuinely purify the thoughts of the workers, cleanse the ranks of the cadres, and rectify the political ecology, thereby establishing the fundamental requirements set forth by our factory committee."

As a leader engaged in political work after all, Yang Shuji provided a summary of the divergence between the two men and elevated the discussion to a higher level.

Li Li Xuewu smoked and observed the expressions of Li Li Huai De and Yang Yang Fengshan; seeing that both maintained calm demeanors, he couldn't help but find it amusing in his heart.

Although both Yang Yang Yuansong and Li Li Xuewu were within this circle of interests and both needed to gain their own voice during this rectification, the primary players were still Li Li Huai De and Yang Yang Fengshan.

As for exposing the divergence between the two, both Li Li Xuewu and the others were mature, time-tested cadres; how could they possibly do something so damaging to the political environment?

Furthermore, having spent so much time in the administrative organs, Li Li Xuewu had grown fond of watching others act; exposing them would simply be no fun.

For the brilliant parts, Li Li Xuewu even felt like applauding them; if necessary, Li Li Xuewu could even join them and act out a scene himself.

After delivering his concluding remarks, Yang Yang Yuansong said to Yang Yang Fengshan, "The working group proposed by Comrade Yang Fengshan seems excellent to me; I suggest that Comrade Yang Fengshan serve as the group leader to direct this rectification campaign."

Yang Yang Fengshan thought for a moment and said, "Very well, I will take the lead and serve as the leader of this working group, but our specific tasks and implementation plans still require effective execution and coordination."

As he spoke, Yang Yang Fengshan extinguished his cigarette butt in the ashtray.

"I will serve as the group leader, with Yang Shuji and Comrade Li Huai De as deputy leaders, and Comrades Sinian and Li Xuewu as working group members."

"I agree!"

"I consent!"

With Factory Director Yang making the proposal and both Yang Shuji and Deputy Factory Director Li seconding it, what could Li Li Xuewu possibly say?

The plan Li Li Xuewu had schemed over for a month entered its final stage of dividing the cake the moment the membership of this small group was settled.

The meeting ultimately decided that Factory Director Yang would coordinate the group's work, with the working group divided into two sub-teams to carry out operations.

Li Li Xuewu would accompany Yang Shuji on a trip to Steel City to thoroughly investigate the situation at the Steel City Branch Factory.

Simultaneously, they would assess the appointments of key cadres in Steel City and form preliminary opinions.

Li Li Huai De would form a team with Xu Sinian, remaining at the Rolling Steel Factory to investigate the Security Department where Fu Bin was stationed and personnel who had interactions with Fu Bin.

Correspondingly, Li Li Huai De's team would also investigate cadres in relevant positions and form preliminary opinions.

Finally, both teams would compile their investigation results and preliminary opinions, hold a group discussion, and formulate final conclusions.

The moment Li Li Huai De, Yang Yang Yuansong, Li Li Xuewu, and others stepped out of Yang Yang Fengshan's office, the organizational rectification campaign at the Rolling Steel Factory and the Steel City Steelmaking Branch Factory officially commenced.

Li Li Xuewu met briefly with Yang Shuji in the office, and the two ultimately agreed to depart for the Northeast that very afternoon.

For this trip, Li Li Xuewu prepared to take two vehicles to the Northeast.

Since the fish were already visible, there was no need to show weakness to the enemy or play games of using oneself as bait.

After leaving Yang Shuji's office, Li Li Xuewu returned to his own office and placed a call to Gu Ning, who had already started work.

Gu Ning was also surprised that Li Li Xuewu's itinerary was arranged so urgently, but she still answered with an affirmative "Okay."

Li Li Xuewu put down the phone and immediately called Han Zhan.

After giving instructions to Han Zhan, Li Li Xuewu walked out of the office with a cigarette dangling from his lips, heading toward the guesthouse.

Xu Ning had heard from Qin Qin Huairu that Li Li Xuewu would come to the guesthouse on the third day of the lunar new year.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu enter the main gate of the guesthouse, Xu Ning hurried out from the lobby.

"Li Kezhang."

"Mm-hmm."

Li Li Xuewu nodded, looking at the stones and weeds that had already been cleared from the courtyard.

"Starting work this early?"

Xu Ning nodded and said, "The construction team you arranged is indeed reliable; since we are preparing for planting and landscaping in early spring, they entered the site today to clear the grounds."

Li Li Xuewu did not see Master Dou; lighting cigarettes with Xu Ning, he looked at the rippling Tuanjie Lake and said with a smile, "The weather is still cold; pay attention to the safety and meal provisions for the construction workers—don't let their hearts grow cold just because the work is done well."

"Rest assured!"

Xu Ning assured Li Li Xuewu, "I have already arranged fixed times at the canteen; meals and hot water for the construction team are fully guaranteed."

"Mm-hmm."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and walked with Xu Ning into the guesthouse, saying as they went, "I trust your work; just put more heart into it."

"Yes."

Xu Ning accompanied Li Li Xuewu into the lobby and asked in a low voice, "Is there a big move coming?"

"Heh-heh."

Li Li Xuewu had already seen Qin Qin Huairu and Zhang Zhang Songying approaching, so he did not continue speaking with Xu Ning.

"Oh my, Leader, you are truly busy; the place has been open for a year, and only now do you come to take a look."

Zhang Zhang Songying had seen Xu Ning rush out the door and knew he was going to greet Li Li Xuewu, so she had been waiting at the entrance of the Workers' Service Station for some time.

Now that Li Li Xuewu had entered, her voice became three notches sweeter as she greeted him.

"Hahaha."

Li Li Xuewu reached out and shook Zhang Zhang Songying's hand, smiling as he said, "Your way of calculating time really leaves me speechless."

"Hahaha."

Hearing Li Li Xuewu say this, Zhang Zhang Songying covered her mouth and laughed, then said to him in a coquettish tone, "Isn't it exactly a year?"

As she spoke, she gently shook Li Li Xuewu's hand with a slight force, saying, "Our Xu Suozhang has always said the guesthouse re-established its image under your care, yet you only come to inspect it so late; your care for us is insufficient!"

"Hahaha."

Li Li Xuewu felt that this Zhang Zhang Songying was truly a talent; assigning her to the guesthouse was making full use of her abilities.

"The guesthouse's new atmosphere today is due to the leaders' care and the hard work of all comrades; here, I must also thank you for cooperating with Xu Suozhang's work."

As they spoke, the group walked into the Workers' Service Station.

Having gained experience from the previous reception of leaders, Zhang Zhang Songying reported her work to Li Li Xuewu very fluently and smoothly; picking up any commodity, she could immediately state its origin and efficacy.

Although Zhang Zhang Songying spoke with a sweet voice and possessed good looks and a fine figure, seeming to use these aspects to curry favor with her superiors,

her Ji Ben Gong was also quite solid; when Li Li Xuewu offered opinions on the classification and arrangement of goods in the service station, Zhang Zhang Songying immediately understood his meaning.

Especially when Li Li Xuewu emphasized price tags and expiration dates, Zhang Zhang Songying introduced to him the working system for commodity control.

Li Li Xuewu was quite satisfied with the work here, especially with the service attitude of the salesclerks standing behind the counters.

"Our work is to serve the people; more specifically, our work is to serve the workers and leaders residing in the guesthouse."

Li Li Xuewu said to Xu Ning and Qin Qin Huairu, who were following beside him, and to Zhang Zhang Songying and the salesclerk standing opposite, "A kind word warms even in the depths of winter; harsh words chill even in the height of summer."

"A good service attitude represents not only the personal quality of our service staff but also the quality of the guesthouse, and even of the entire Rolling Steel Factory."

"Yes."

Zhang Zhang Songying nodded with a smile and said, "We will certainly keep the leader's instructions in mind and perform our service work with enthusiastic and full spirits."

Standing aside, Qin Qin Huairu also smiled and assured him, "The guest room department will also increase the intensity of study and training to do a good job in guest room services."

Li Li Xuewu nodded with a smile, turned, and exited the service station; under Xu Ning's guidance, he proceeded to tour the catering department.

The salesclerk watched the retreating figures of Li Li Xuewu and the others, then said in a low voice to Zhang Zhang Songying, the person in charge of the service station, "Li Kezhang has such an imposing manner; moreover, he knows so much, treats people with humility and gentleness, and speaks very pleasantly."

"Heh-heh-heh."

Zhang Zhang Songying glanced at the salesclerk and said, "He is a transferred cadre; he carries an aura of killing intent."

"Ah! How come I didn't notice?"

The salesclerk asked in surprise, then looked at Zhang Zhang Songying and said, "How could you tell?"

Zhang Zhang Songying walked to the edge of the counter and said in a low voice, "I can't tell either, but I know his background; despite his current gentleness, he is formidable when he gets fierce."

Seeing Salesclerk Xiao Zhou looking frightened, Zhang Zhang Songying laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? He isn't a tiger who is fierce to everyone; he is only formidable when handling cases."

As she spoke, she whispered to Xiao Zhou, "You probably don't know yet, do you? He is a famous talent; we often see his articles in the newspapers on our reading racks."

"Gasp! Is Li Kezhang that formidable?"

"Of course!"

Glancing again toward the catering department, Zhang Zhang Songying said, "Otherwise, how could he become a section chief at such a young age? It is said he is about to be promoted to Deputy Division Chief."

"Oh my heavens! Wouldn't that make him a true, genuine leader!"

With a gossipy expression, Xiao Zhou smiled and asked Zhang Zhang Songying, "Why do I feel you are very familiar with Li Kezhang? Did you know each other long ago?"

Seeing Xiao Zhou's mischievous grin, Zhang Zhang Songying pinched her in anger and said with a laugh, "Spouting all sorts of talk! No wild rumors allowed!"

After giving this instruction, she went to stand by the doorway, fearing that Li Li Xuewu and the others might not see the service here if they came back at that moment.

Xiao Zhou looked at Zhang Zhang Songying's demeanor, wrinkled her nose, and wore an expression that said, "I understand everything."

Zhang Zhang Songying had deliberately not made things clear, intending to use Xiao Zhou's mouth to spread the matter, so that in the future, no one at the guesthouse would dare to glare at her.

A portion of the rumors and slander that appear around many female cadres stems from exactly this kind of reason.

Female cadres themselves are restricted by gender, leading to colorful terms like "beautiful female cadre."

This poses a challenge to the working environment for female cadres.

One could say this is unfair, as a person's work ability cannot be simply distinguished by gender.

Although the law has explicitly established equality between men and women, female cadres still face tests in actual work.

Zhang Zhang Songying was transferred from the workshop together with Qin Qin Huairu; she knew well the importance of opportunity.

Therefore, when Li Li Xuewu proposed transferring them to the guesthouse, she agreed without hesitation and even helped persuade the others.

Now, only she and Qin Qin Huairu have reached the section chief level; why, she understood very clearly.

The workers who came together are now either cleaning guest rooms or working in the kitchen; since they all came out together, why is their development so different?

Zhang Zhang Songying was already twenty-seven years old; she knew her opportunity lay in this guesthouse, and that the chance to change her destiny rested with the person who had just been smilingly guiding the work.

Those who also knew well how rare opportunities were included Master Master Qian Master Qian Shutong and his apprentices, who had arrived later; since they were preparing meals for the leaders, everyone was busy.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu enter accompanied by Xu Ning and Liu Lan, the master and apprentices immediately put down their work to greet Li Li Xuewu.

"Greetings, Li Kezhang."

"Good, good."

Li Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "You are working; I just came from outside, so let's skip the handshake."

Liu Lan smiled and said, "It's no problem; isn't this how we all work?"

Li Li Xuewu smiled, glanced at Xu Ning without saying anything, then looked at the kitchen environment, which was indeed very hygienic.

This benefited from the use of tiles during the kitchen renovation, making it very easy to clean.

Li Li Xuewu looked at the menu on the wall and smiled, saying, "Quite abundant."

Liu Lan did not know why Li Li Xuewu had not responded to her earlier remark, but she knew Li Li Xuewu must have had something he wanted to say but didn't.

She was not afraid of Li Li Xuewu, but neither did she dare to offend him; since Li Li Xuewu was saving her face, she could only smile and continue accompanying him on the tour.

"The menu was specially set by Master Master Qian; it changes every day to ensure a rich variety of dishes as much as possible."

Li Li Xuewu nodded to show his approval.

After looking around once, Li Li Xuewu left the catering department, accompanied by Qin Qin Huairu upstairs to inspect the guest room department.

Xu Ning lagged behind slightly, remaining in the catering department.

"Xu Suozhang, this..."

Xu Ning looked at Liu Lan, frowned slightly, but still controlled his tone as he said, "Our guesthouse has two areas where hygiene is the Top Priority: one is the guest room department, and the other is the catering department."

Liu Lan also realized that this sentence might have been the mistake, and looking at Xu Ning, she said, "I was just speaking casually; you know our hygiene situation."

Xu Ning nodded and said, "The work was done, but because it wasn't expressed properly, or was expressed wrongly, don't you think that's a loss?"

"Yes."

Liu Lan also knew where her problem lay; it was simply that her mouth was too clumsy.

"Alright, Li Kezhang is one of our own and won't mind this, but you must be careful in the future; Li Kezhang might forgive such a mistake, but other leaders are another matter."

"Yes."

Liu Lan nodded and said, "I know I was wrong."

"Go back to work."

Regarding Liu Lan, Li Li Xuewu would not say anything, but Xu Ning had to.

But speaking aside, one must still pay attention to methods; every unit has such people, and if they cannot be avoided, one must find a way to manage them.

Li Li Xuewu followed Qin Qin Huairu to inspect the guest rooms on the second floor; since it was just after the New Year, not many people were staying yet, making the corridor seem somewhat desolate.

"According to the original design, the corridor is equipped with three sodium bicarbonate fire extinguishers and one fire hydrant."

Downstairs, Li Li Xuewu had successively emphasized service and hygiene; now, what needed to be inspected was safety.

The guesthouse need not fear poor service, and poor hygiene can be rectified; what it fears most is the occurrence of safety accidents.

Once they happen, it is too late for regret.

Li Li Xuewu tapped the fire hydrant and asked Qin Qin Huairu, "Is there water?"

Qin Qin Huairu nodded and said, "It was decided during the design phase; the large water tank on the roof is directly connected here. The tank is not only for domestic water but also connected to Tuanjie Lake, so there is never a shortage of water."

This was a requirement Li Li Xuewu had made for the guesthouse, and also the reason why the renovation took so long.

"Do you know how to use it?"

Qin Qin Huairu nodded and said, "Xu Suozhang required it; we conduct emergency drill rehearsals once a week. Would you like me to demonstrate one for you?"

"Hehehe."

Li Li Xuewu looked at Qin Qin Huairu and said, "Safety accidents are a red line; at least in my domain, they are a red line that no one may cross."

Regardless of whether Qin Qin Huairu truly knew how or not, Li Li Xuewu had set the requirement here.

Li Li Xuewu could tolerate any kind of mistake, except for negligence of duty and human-caused casualties; such mistakes Li Li Xuewu would not tolerate.

This is a rigid requirement, to be pursued to the end.

Going up to the third floor, seeing a service attendant standing at the service desk near the stairwell, Li Li Xuewu smiled and asked, "How often are the rooms cleaned usually?"

The attendant did not recognize Li Li Xuewu, but seeing him accompanied by Qin Qin Huairu, knew he was a leader, and replied cheerfully, "Comrades from the Service Department conduct hygiene cleaning every day."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and asked again, "How often do you rotate shifts?"

The attendant replied, "Eight hours; two shifts per day; there is no one at night."

Li Li Xuewu said to Qin Qin Huairu, "Mention this to Xu Ning; transfer personnel from the Service Office as soon as possible. Standing for eight hours straight, who can endure it? Service quality will decline."

Nodding to the attendant, he walked further down the corridor while saying, "Add more people, rotate them, otherwise their legs will be ruined from standing."

Qin Qin Huairu replied, "Personnel have already been transferred over and are currently undergoing training."

Just as the two were talking, they saw a room door open, and upon seeing the person who came out, Li Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes.

The person who came out also froze stiff upon seeing Li Li Xuewu.

"Li Kezhang?"

Xu Ning went upstairs, saw Li Li Xuewu standing in the middle of the corridor, called out to him, and then hurried over.

Li Li Xuewu glanced back at Xu Ning, then turned and walked toward him, as if he hadn't seen the person who had come out.