Chapter 382

"Oh, give me a break."

Han Shu smiled and said to Li Xuewu, "Do you really think an honest kid could incite your teacher to run off to Steel City?"

"Look, isn't this just a misunderstanding!"

Li Xuewu smiled and made a face at Gu Ning, then followed the two of them into the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves, ready to help.

"My teacher going to Steel City was a need of the organization; it wasn't something I could incite him to do."

As he spoke, he had already crouched down and started to pick up the fish soaking in the basin.

This was the fish he had sent over last time; clearly, the Master's wife hadn't been able to bring herself to eat it, and only now that they had come did she finally decide to thaw it out.

"You don't need to clean it, I'll do it."

The Master's wife smiled at Li Xuewu, who was crouching by the basin, and said, "You two have been at work all day, go and take a rest."

"It's fine, you've been busy all day too."

Li Xuewu waved his hand, signaling Gu Ning to stand to one side so she wouldn't get fish scales on her.

Then he said to Han Shu, "We're already feeling bad enough about coming over for a free meal; how could I let you do all the work alone?"

Li Xuewu used the scissors to scrape the fish scales, but his strength wasn't applied quite right, and the scales went flying everywhere.

"Help him put on the apron."

Seeing Gu Ning standing to the side, Han Shu reminded her.

"Oh, oh."

Only then did Gu Ning take the apron down from the wall and signal for Li Xuewu to stand up so she could help him tie it.

Li Xuewu turned his head to look at Gu Ning, a clean smile appearing on his face.

Perhaps sensing Li Xuewu's smile, Gu Ning also raised her head, her face slightly flushed, and glanced at him.

"Hehe."

The two looked at each other and smiled; it was just tying an apron, yet they made it look like a scene from an idol drama.

It made the Master's wife, who was on the sidelines eating their "dog food," chuckle to herself.

Neither of these two spent much time in the kitchen; one look at Li Xuewu's movements showed he was a novice.

And that was still better than Gu Ning, who was the type who had never lifted a finger in her life.

She just stood there watching, not even knowing what she should do to help.

"What are you two going to do after you get married?"

Watching the two of them, neither knowing how to cook and neither seeming worried about it, Han Shu couldn't help but ask this question with a smile.

"How many meals will we even eat at home?"

Li Xuewu finished scraping the scales, slit open the fish's belly, and scooped out the insides.

He hadn't done this kind of work much either, but having watched it many times, he knew how to clean it.

While his hands were busy, he chatted with the Master's wife.

"After we're married, we'll both just eat at our unit's canteen, and in the morning, we'll just make do with something on the street."

"Look at that, is that any way to talk about living a life?"

The Master's wife smiled at the two of them and said, "It's not too late to learn now; at the very least, you should know how to make something simple, right?"

Li Xuewu looked at Gu Ning, who was looking a bit embarrassed, and asked with a smile, "Can you learn it?"

Gu Ning looked at Li Xuewu, pinching her fingers in a flustered manner.

If it were a matter of performing surgery or something, that would be no problem, but asking her to cook...

"Hehehehe."

Li Xuewu smiled as he looked at the troubled Gu Ning and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't learn."

Gu Ning thought Li Xuewu was going to say she didn't need to learn because he would learn instead.

But she didn't expect that as Li Xuewu turned around to rinse the fish with water, he would say, "I just can't learn it no matter how I try."

"Hahahahaha."

Han Shu was cutting tofu, and hearing Li Xuewu's words, she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

This was truly a case of a big lazy meeting a small lazy; they were lazy in the same way.

Especially seeing Gu Ning pouting her little mouth in annoyance at Li Xuewu, Han Shu couldn't even straighten her back from laughing.

"Hehehe."

Li Xuewu gestured at Gu Ning with the fish in his hand, scaring her into taking a step back, after which she glared at him with her big eyes.

"Don't be flirting in front of me!"

Han Shu reminded them with a smile, "Don't bully this woman who's been left behind!"

"Sister Han~"

Gu Ning naturally knew Han Shu was teasing her; she called out embarrassedly, then dodged Li Xuewu to go help by the counter.

Li Xuewu placed the fish on the edge of the sink, and seeing there was no more major work to be done, he washed his hands.

"Come here, let me tie it for you."

After washing his hands, Li Xuewu saw Gu Ning helping to wash vegetables, so he smiled and took off his own apron, wanting to put it on her.

"No, it's all covered in fish scales."

Gu Ning dodged him, while Li Xuewu deliberately teased her by holding up the side with the scales.

The two of them were laughing and talking in the kitchen, until Han Shu, laughing in exasperation, snatched the apron from Li Xuewu's hand and chased him out to the living room.

"Senior Brother!"

"Yeah!"

Li Xuewu sniffed his hands; there was still a faint fishy smell. Seeing Dong Mengyuan sitting on the sofa reading a comic book, he sat down next to him.

"Smell this."

"What?"

Seeing his Senior Brother asking him to smell something, Dong Mengyuan curiously stretched out his little nose and took a sniff.

"Oh my, that smells so bad~"

"Hehehehe."

Li Xuewu chuckled, "I thought I smelled it wrong just now, but now I'm sure."

Dong Mengyuan looked at Li Xuewu with a face full of question marks; was there a bad guy nearby?

"What are you reading?"

Li Xuewu lay down diagonally next to his Junior Brother and flipped through the comic book on Dong Mengyuan's lap.

"It's 'Journey to the West'."

Seeing his Senior Brother wanted to read with him, Dong Mengyuan slid the book toward Li Xuewu.

"Thanks~"

It was meant to be a polite gesture, but Dong Mengyuan hadn't expected his Senior Brother to take the whole book away after saying thanks.

"Senior Brother~"

"Hahahahaha."

Li Xuewu was just teasing him, and seeing the little guy looking so aggrieved, he couldn't help but laugh and return the book.

"Did you miss Dad?"

Putting the comic book aside, Li Xuewu picked up his little Junior Brother and held him in his arms.

"I did."

Dong Mengyuan sat in Li Xuewu's arms, reached out to take the comic book, pointed at the text in the speech bubble, and said to Li Xuewu, "Senior Brother, read it to me."

"Even your dad doesn't get this kind of treatment, hehehe."

Li Xuewu smiled and rubbed his little Junior Brother's face, then began to read the comic book.

I don't know why, but despite Li Xuewu looking so fierce, children weren't afraid of him.

Not to mention Dong Mengyuan in Li Xuewu's arms, there was also Li Shu at home, Zhang Xinmin, the son of Wen Saner, and Fu Zhidong in Steel City.

None of these children cried out loud or feared Li Xuewu the first time they saw him.

Yet this man was clearly the same man whom all those adults called the "Tiger of the Security Division."

"Maybe children see him from a different angle."

Seeing her son sitting in Li Xuewu's arms listening to the story, Han Shu also felt very surprised and inexplicably amused.

Gu Ning, on the other hand, understood Li Xuewu a bit better, perhaps because he had told her many things from his heart.

Gu Ning looked at the back of the person sitting on the sofa in the living room reading seriously, and said with a smile, "He really is a very kind person."

"Tsk tsk tsk, they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, what is this?"

Han Shu glanced at Gu Ning and asked, "Has he fed you some kind of love potion? Haha."

"Sister Han~"

Gu Ning pouted, "What love potion could there be~"

"Tsk tsk tsk."

Han Shu looked at the fish in the pot, then at Gu Ning, and said, "And you say there isn't one; you're almost like the fish in his pot already."

"No way~"

Gu Ning said with a slightly flushed face, "I'm just telling the truth."

As she spoke, she looked at Han Shu, who was busy, and said, "I've seen it; he's very good with children. He can talk to children of any age, and the children are all willing to talk to him."

"He's a social bandit."

Han Shu smiled and said, "There's no one he can't strike up a conversation with. His teacher says that if he wants to, he can sit here and talk to you for three days and three nights without stopping."

"Giggle."

Hearing Han Shu say this, Gu Ning felt the same; she just wondered how Li Xuewu could be so talkative.

It was the same at her home; he could talk to her father and mother at the same time without letting the conversation drop.

There was no one he couldn't talk to, and he wasn't annoying about it either.

Gu Ning stood to the side, fiddling with the apron in her hands, and said with her head down, "I was quite surprised when I first heard he had adopted a child."

"Who wouldn't be?"

Han Shu looked at Gu Ning and then whispered, "At the time, I even thought the child was foolish."

"Pfft~ Hahaha."

Gu Ning covered her mouth and laughed, then glanced at the living room and said with her head down, "I didn't feel like it was something he shouldn't have done, it's just... I just felt it was quite surprising that he would do such a thing."

"Hehe, you felt that someone with his personality wouldn't do it, right?"

Han Shu smiled as she took the fish out of the pot and pointed to the steamer, saying, "The steamed buns are ready, take them out."

"Okay."

Gu Ning helped Han Shu take the buns out of the steamer, following Han Shu's instructions to dip her fingers in a little cold water before grabbing a bun.

Han Shu was busy with her work, and she said to Gu Ning, "He is a broad-minded person, and also someone who can get things done. That's why your Brother Dong and I introduced him to you."

"Mm."

Gu Ning nodded, picked up the buns and put them on a plate, then pinched out the steamer cloth inside.

"It's just that the contrast is quite big. He was so fierce when he was in the South; I never expected him to have such a delicate and gentle side."

"That's probably what they mean by 'a thousand people, a thousand faces'."

Han Shu smiled as she brought the fish to the table and called out to the living room, "You two, come wash your hands and eat."

"Yeah!"

Li Xuewu answered, then closed the book in his hand, looked at his little Junior Brother in his arms, and asked, "Are you going to get up yourself, or should I give you a somersault cloud?"

"I'd better get up myself~"

Thinking of his Senior Brother's mischief, Dong Mengyuan didn't dare to take the risk; he didn't dare to try what that somersault cloud was.

"Hehehe."

Li Xuewu smiled and followed his little Junior Brother to the kitchen. Seeing Gu Ning had already prepared the water, he joined in the fun, competing with his little Junior Brother to wash his hands.

"Giggle~"

Dong Mengyuan was happy that people had come to visit, and plus, Li Xuewu was teasing him; his laughter never stopped.

"Alright, sit down nicely by yourself, no more messing around."

Han Shu called out to her son, then said to Li Xuewu, "There are only three dishes today. You're a man, so eat more; otherwise, the two of us won't be able to finish the leftovers."

As she spoke, she brought a plate of braised tofu to the table.

Li Xuewu took the bowl Gu Ning handed him and placed it in front of his little Junior Brother.

"Master's wife, don't be so polite; I won't pretend to be modest."

As he spoke, he took the chopsticks Gu Ning handed him and distributed them to everyone.

After everyone was seated, Han Shu asked, "Do you want to drink? There's still wine in your teacher's cabinet."

"Forget it, I don't usually drink."

Li Xuewu waved his hand, gestured toward Gu Ning, and said, "I still have to take Xiao Ning home later; it's not safe to drive on the road."

"Then we won't drink, just eat more vegetables."

Han Shu didn't really approve of young people drinking either, especially on occasions like a family dinner; it was better not to drink if you didn't have to.

"It really made my son happy that you two could come today."

Hearing his mother mention him, Dong Mengyuan smiled at Gu Ning and Li Xuewu and said, "It's better when the house is lively."

"Isn't it~"

Han Shu stroked her son's little head, put a piece of fish in his bowl, and reminded him to be careful of fish bones.

"The commuter vehicles for the steel mill are quite frequent. I'll keep an eye on it, and I'll let you know when there's a vehicle."

Li Xuewu looked at his little Junior Brother; for a married couple, living apart in two different places was not a long-term solution.

Han Shu looked at her son and said to Li Xuewu, "I don't want to go through the trouble anymore; with only a few days of leave, it's all wasted on the road."

"Then just ask for more leave."

Li Xuewu put a piece of fish, with the bones already picked out, into his little Junior Brother's bowl and said to the Master's wife, "Teacher misses you all over there too."

"Sigh~"

Han Shu also knew that Dong Wenxue had gone to Steel City of his own volition, and it wasn't something that could happen just because Li Xuewu incited him.

Isn't that how men are? Their ambitions are always far-reaching, at least when it comes to their loved ones.

In Steel City, Dong Wenxue was also just preparing to eat dinner; it had been another busy day.

Before coming to Steel City, Dong Wenxue had been mentally prepared to clean up a mess, but he hadn't expected the steel mill to be in such a state.

Today, Yang Zongfang reported to him that if they continued to deepen the investigation, a third of the cadres might need to be moved.

Dong Wenxue didn't want that either, but if they didn't clear out the poison, this atmosphere would just revive, and it would strike back even more fiercely.

But what was troubling Dong Wenxue and Yang Zongfang now was that they had no one they could use.

It wasn't that the steel mill had no people, nor was it that there were no cadres who could be promoted; it was that they lacked people they could trust.

As the window for cadre adjustments at the rolling mill closed, it had become increasingly difficult to continue importing and swapping cadres from the rolling mill.

No one wanted the people they could use to be transferred away; after all, it took a lot of effort to cultivate someone.

Another thing was that Dong Wenxue had his own assessment of the steel mill; he didn't want to do the work for someone else's benefit.

So, the opinion he communicated with Yang Zongfang today was to slow down the pace, at least to let the steel mill's work proceed steadily and give him time to examine the cadres.

It wasn't that they weren't investigating anymore, but rather to proceed steadily and surely, making the high-pressure system a normalized state.

Yang Zongfang supported his work and didn't express any opposition, but he also had his own persistence regarding the upcoming major study.

After all, as a Party Committee cadre, Yang Zongfang also had his own set of working methods.

As long as there is work to be done, there will be opinions, and where there are opinions, there will be differences.

Dong Wenxue wasn't afraid of differences; a one-man show was the most dangerous thing.

After communicating his opinions with Yang Zongfang, he returned to the guesthouse.

Because Dong Wenxue wasn't a local of Steel City and hadn't brought his family to take up his post here.

So, according to Dong Wenxue's own opinion, his dormitory was arranged at the guesthouse.

Actually, it was quite good here; there were people to clean the room at any time, and it was convenient for eating and going to work.

At this moment, the attendant had already brought his meal into the room and placed it on the dining table.

The room arranged for Dong Wenxue was definitely the best; the living room, dining room, and bathroom were all well-equipped.

And the attendant arranged by the guesthouse was also young and beautiful, to make the leader feel pleased and facilitate work.

"Thank you, Xiao Wang, just put it there."

Dong Wenxue put down the documents in his hand and gestured to the attendant who was about to set his rice bowl.

The attendant was a girl, bright-eyed and white-toothed, and her figure was slender and tall.

"Leader, I'll fetch some water for you to wash your face."

As she spoke, she had already nimbly placed the food on the table and went to the door to fetch face-washing water for Dong Wenxue.

Dong Wenxue had never enjoyed such attentive service before, and now he felt quite unaccustomed to it.

He had already talked to the guesthouse manager about this issue this morning, but looking at it now, the standard here hadn't been lowered at all.

"Alright, alright, I'll do it myself."

Dong Wenxue waved his hand, took off his coat, placed it on the sofa, and then walked to the door, signaling that he would wash it himself.

The attendant looked at Dong Wenxue and asked with a somewhat aggrieved expression, "Dong Shuji, are you dissatisfied with my work?"

"How can you say that?"

Dong Wenxue washed his face, picked up the towel on the rack, looked at the attendant, and said, "Your service is very good."

"But..."

The attendant hesitated for a moment, then said to Dong Wenxue, "But our leader said you don't need me to serve you anymore, saying... saying I...".

"Hi~"

As soon as Dong Wenxue saw the girl's expression, he knew that what he had said this morning had been conveyed, only it had been misinterpreted.

"Listen to me, that's not what I meant."

Signaling the attendant not to close the room door, Dong Wenxue explained, "I'm going to be staying here for a long time; we're all brothers and sisters from the same factory. If you're so polite, aren't you treating me like an outsider?"

Dong Wenxue meant that he treated this place as his dormitory, so there was no need to serve him like a guest; simple was fine.

But the attendant smiled broadly at this moment and said, "Then Dong Shuji, don't be polite with me. It's my duty to help you clean and fetch your meals."

As she spoke, she had already gone to tidy up the clothes Dong Wenxue had taken off today on the sofa.

"This..."

Dong Wenxue didn't know what to say to this straightforward girl; he couldn't just kick her out.

Just as Dong Wenxue was helplessly enjoying the "red sleeves adding fragrance," Li Xuewu put down his chopsticks.

"Full?"

"Yes, I said I wouldn't pretend to be modest."

Li Xuewu went to the water basin to wash his hands; he couldn't help but get his hands dirty when picking out fish bones.

Watching Gu Ning and the Master's wife cleaning up the table, Li Xuewu returned to the living room first.

Very familiarly, he rummaged through the tea cabinet for a while and took out a box of jasmine tea.

This was to brew for the two female comrades who were busy in the kitchen; he wasn't picky about tea.

But he wasn't used to this kind of sweet and cloying flavor, so he brewed the green tea that was placed on the tea cabinet.

Dong Wenxue had given him quite a lot of tea leaves when he left, but they were all kept in the office, and he rarely drank them anyway.

He never brewed tea in his own cup; if it wasn't Sha Qizhi brewing it, it was Yu Decai.

"Do you want a cup?"

Watching his little Junior Brother climb down from the sofa, Li Xuewu asked with a smile.

"No, it's bitter, doesn't taste good."

Dong Mengyuan, wearing little slippers, ran past Li Xuewu with a pattering sound, still holding his comic book in his arms.

"Where are you going?"

"It's time, I have to go to sleep."

Li Xuewu looked at the wall clock; it was not even eight o'clock yet.

But it was a common phenomenon for children to go to bed early and wake up early. The children in Dong Wenxue's family usually went to their rooms to sleep by themselves without needing the adults to coax them.

Li Xuewu thought that when Li Shu grew up a little, he would also let her sleep by herself; she couldn't always stay by the old lady's side, or she would develop a sense of dependency.

Thinking of his daughter, he thought of the problems of going to school and dating in the future.

Sigh~ I hope she doesn't meet someone like me.

"What are you thinking about?"

Han Shu wiped her hands and walked into the living room with Gu Ning. Seeing Li Xuewu standing in front of the tea cabinet in a daze, she asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking about Mengyuan saying he was going to sleep, and then I remembered Li Shu."

Li Xuewu answered Han Shu, walked to the front of the sofa with two cups of jasmine tea, and placed them on the coffee table in front of them.

"The child is doing well, right? I haven't seen her even once yet~"

Han Shu took Li Xuewu's tea, turned her head, and asked Gu Ning, "You've seen Li Shu, right? I heard she's extremely cute."

"Yes."

Thinking of that well-behaved and sensible little doll, Gu Ning also smiled unconsciously and answered, "Not only does she look good, she's very well-behaved."

"That's because you haven't seen her when she's being a handful."

Li Xuewu smiled, picked up his own teacup, and went to sit on the single-seat sofa.

Teasing his own daughter, he said to Han Shu, "Master's wife, I have to learn from you how to raise children; Mengyuan is raised very well."

"They're all like that."

There are no parents who aren't happy to hear others praise their children, but Li Xuewu wasn't an outsider.

Han Shu smiled and said, "There are times when he's naughty too; when he makes me angry, I give him a couple of slaps."

"Hehehe."

Li Xuewu smiled as he looked toward the direction of his little Junior Brother's room on the first floor and said, "I can't bear to hit my daughter, but she's quite a handful now too."

As he spoke, he looked at Gu Ning, who was sitting to the side, and said, "The little wooden dolls I saw last time are all gone; they're either missing an arm or a leg."

Gu Ning's impression of Li Shu was still good; every time she went, she would look at her with wide eyes.

Even when Gu Ning held her, she was very well-behaved, just clenching her little hands tightly.

Gu Ning had no thoughts about Li Xuewu's daughter, perhaps because she had never been a mother herself.

She couldn't feel close to Li Shu, nor did she feel she was annoying or distant; sometimes she thought the tender little child was quite fun.

So when Li Xuewu mentioned Li Shu just now, Gu Ning also thought of that little doll and couldn't help but smile along.

Han Shu held her teacup and watched Li Xuewu and Gu Ning both smiling as they talked about the child; she knew there was no conflict between them.

She couldn't help but feel happy and pleased for Li Xuewu and Gu Ning.

There was no need to mention the relationship with Gu Ning's family; Dong Wenxue wasn't born to Gu Haitao, but he was raised by him.

Dong Wenxue treated Gu Ning like his own younger sister, and after he got married, he would also take his wife and children to visit the Gu family during festivals.

Han Shu knew Dong Wenxue's feelings for the Gu family, so she was also sincere in her treatment of Gu Ning.

There was no need to mention Li Xuewu's side; they only had one child, and both of them were of the same opinion when it came to cultivating Li Xuewu as a helper.

Looking at it now, Li Xuewu was also worthy of their care and cultivation.

The gifts sent from time to time couldn't explain how good Li Xuewu's character was, but at least it showed that Li Xuewu was a person who knew how to be grateful.

Dong Wenxue had also heard some rumors about Li Xuewu; not everyone in the rolling mill spoke well of him.

But regarding these rumors, Dong Wenxue chose to look at them dialectically.

Sometimes he would also remind and nudge Li Xuewu, letting him pay attention to his influence and his methods of doing things.

Overall, Dong Wenxue and Han Shu were satisfied with Li Xuewu, especially in his attitude toward work and conduct.

Working together was something Dong Wenxue and Li Xuewu had agreed upon, and Li Xuewu had also been silently supporting Dong Wenxue.

It could be said that Dong Wenxue being able to go to Steel City also had Li Xuewu's contribution and influence.

The two of them were both firm and gentle, and shared the same aspirations; that was why the people in the rolling mill, including those new leaders, didn't dare to look down on them or the Security Division.

Now, looking at Li Xuewu, who was talking to them in such a gentle manner, Han Shu's face was also filled with a satisfied smile.

"Have you thought about when you're getting married?"

Just as Li Xuewu was talking to Gu Ning about the child, Han Shu, who was sitting to the side, suddenly asked this question.

"I've thought about it, why wouldn't I?"

Li Xuewu was quite open; he looked at Gu Ning, who had lowered her head with a flushed face, and smiled, "I'm thinking about it now; I wish I could get married tomorrow."

"Stop talking~"

Gu Ning pouted at Li Xuewu, then picked up the jasmine tea on the coffee table and took a sip to hide the blush on her face.

"What's wrong with that? Can you not marry him?"

Han Shu looked at Gu Ning and said with a smile, "If you don't marry him, Aunt Ding will be worried until her hair turns white."

"No way~"

Gu Ning held the teacup and leaned back on the sofa, answering Han Shu's words, but her eyes were secretly looking at Li Xuewu.

"Anyway, I've thought about it, hehe."

Seeing Gu Ning look over, Li Xuewu smiled and said, "When I went home last time, my mother was urging me, and when I went to her house, Aunt Ding was urging me too."

"Isn't that great!"

Han Shu looked at Li Xuewu and said, "Neither side of the parents has any objections; think of how much trouble you'll save."

"Yes."

Li Xuewu sat up straight on the sofa, looked at Han Shu, and said, "It's really too busy now; I've already agreed with Aunt Ding that once my work is cleared up, I'll put the marriage on the agenda."

"Sigh!"

Han Shu sighed and said, "When you weren't busy, you two couldn't get together, and now that you're together, you're busy again."

"Hehe."

Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile, "Take it slow; we're already making preparations."

"Is that so?"

Han Shu looked at Gu Ning, then said to Li Xuewu, "Prepare early; marriage is a major life event, you can't be careless."

"Mm, I know."

Li Xuewu smiled and looked at Gu Ning, then said to Han Shu, "Master's wife, there's something I'd like to ask your advice on."

"Why are you being so polite with me? Go ahead."

Han Shu knew that Li Xuewu's visit today wasn't as simple as just coming for a free meal; it wasn't Sunday, and Li Xuewu wouldn't come to trouble her without a reason.

But seeing that Li Xuewu hadn't been in a hurry to bring it up earlier, she knew the matter wasn't that urgent.

Seeing Li Xuewu speak now, she knew it was related to her.

There was naturally no need to hide the relationship between Li Xuewu and the Dong family.

So looking at Han Shu now, Li Xuewu said directly, "A new leader has come to our unit..."

"It's Gu Weijie, right?"

Before Li Xuewu could finish, Han Shu interrupted and asked, "Transferred from Steel City Academy? Are you having a conflict with her?"

Facing the Master's wife's three consecutive questions, Li Xuewu smiled and answered, "It's her; she's now the Executive Deputy Secretary of our rolling mill. There's no conflict."

Hearing Li Xuewu say there was no conflict, that meant there was a conflict.

Han Shu put down the teacup in her hand, leaned back on the sofa, thought for a moment, and said, "She's not a very difficult person to get along with."

First, she gave a conclusion about Gu Weijie, and then Han Shu continued, "She can be said to be a woman with great demeanor and cultivation. She was a member of the organization in the Pingjin region before, and after liberation, she participated in the study and construction of the Steel Academy."

"Mm."

Li Xuewu listened to Han Shu's introduction while walking to the tea cabinet to take the thermos and refill the teacups for the Master's wife and Gu Ning.

Gu Ning heard Li Xuewu and Han Shu start talking about serious matters, so she sat to the side and listened without saying a word.

Hearing Li Xuewu asking Han Shu about a female cadre, she also widened her eyes and pricked up her ears.

Han Shu continued to introduce, "Her husband used to work in the Ministry, but later they said he was transferred to the South, probably to a steel mill; I don't know the specific situation."

"What's her work style like?"

Li Xuewu added some water to his own teacup, then placed the thermos on the coffee table, sat upright on the sofa, and listened to Han Shu's introduction.

"She's quite firm."

Han Shu nodded and said, "Especially in organizational construction; she has knowledge, resilience, can talk about theory, and can also engage in mass work."

As she spoke, she glanced at Li Xuewu and asked, "What kind of conflict? If it's not a matter of principle, I suggest you coordinate well with her."

"Mm."

Li Xuewu first answered, then gave a simple introduction to the conflict between the rolling mill and Gu Weijie.

At the end, Li Xuewu smiled and said, "I don't mean anything else; I just wanted to see what kind of leader she is. After all, there are convenient conditions here, right?"

"Hehe."

Han Shu knew what Li Xuewu meant by that explanation, chuckled, and then said, "The matter between you two still needs to be polished."

"Mm."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Take it slow. As long as she's not a leader with ulterior motives, I'm just afraid of someone who doesn't understand anything and wants to start a fight with me as soon as they arrive, hehe."

"She's not."

Han Shu knew what kind of leader Li Xuewu was talking about—someone who had no level, no culture, didn't talk about politics or rules, and only knew how to struggle.

After giving Li Xuewu a definition, Han Shu continued, "You'll know after you've spent more time together; she's a good person, and she's very serious and responsible in her work."

Thinking of the conflict Li Xuewu mentioned earlier, Han Shu looked at Li Xuewu and said, "Maybe she's just anxious to open up the work situation at the rolling mill; this is the sense of crisis that comes from having no one to use."

"Mm-mm."

Li Xuewu nodded in understanding; it wasn't as if everyone who took office was like Dong Wenxue, who had a vanguard to clear the way before he even arrived.

The several new leaders who came to the rolling mill were all transferred from outside, and they had no foundation in the rolling mill.

They all had a sense of crisis and felt unaccustomed to the new environment.

It's just that some didn't show it obviously, and chose the safest and most gentle adaptation plan in their work style.

While Gu Weijie chose a more radical one, directly intervening in the power struggle of the rolling mill.

To put it bluntly, this merger was also a killer move by Yang Yuansong, only it was utilized by Gu Weijie to follow the trend.

During the time Li Xuewu was injured, Yang Yuansong saw the problem with the Security Division.

Dong Wenxue plus Li Xuewu was too dangerous.

Especially Li Xuewu, a young man who was very difficult to handle; this was also confirmed in the later incident of the whistle-blowing letter.

But at the time, Fu Bin was still there, and the factory Party Committee had been studying how to divide the Security Division.

The factory leaders also didn't expect Li Xuewu to pull Fu Bin off his horse so quickly; they thought the two of them would end up hurting each other.

At that time, the factory would use the excuse of protecting young people to transfer Li Xuewu away from the Security Division, wouldn't that solve the problem of power concentration in the Security Division?

But they never expected that Fu Bin, who had been placed with high hopes, would fall so quickly.

So fast that the factory leaders couldn't even find someone to replace him, and it also pulled out the radish and brought out the mud, and something happened in Steel City again.

The situation at the time was already a mess; who had the heart to restrain a young man?

And it couldn't be suppressed anymore; if they hadn't given Li Xuewu the position of Deputy Division Chief at the time, Li Xuewu would have overthrown the leadership.

This wasn't a joke; if Li Xuewu had pursued the investigation of the whistle-blowing letter and Fu Bin's problems at the time, the leadership of the rolling mill would definitely have been replaced.

So after a storm, Li Xuewu sat firmly in the Security Division, and Dong Wenxue took the opportunity to occupy the steel mill.

This situation also made Yang Yuansong, who was the squad leader, worry; in his management concept, a situation where one family dominates cannot appear.

There must be balance, including the balance within the Security Division; the Security Division cannot have a one-man show.

Just like the steel mill, although Dong Wenxue went to be the top leader, several deputy factory directors were all from various relationships in the rolling mill.

Work is work; Yang Zongfang wouldn't hinder Dong Wenxue's work, but he would also restrain Dong Wenxue so that the steel mill wouldn't lose control again.

Now that Dong Wenxue's side was arranged, Yang Yuansong was ready to divide Li Xuewu's side.

It wasn't that he thought Li Xuewu was bad, nor did he have a grudge against him.

This was Yang Yuansong's work; this was the work of a factory Party Committee high official.

Deploying organizational personnel resources, rationally laying out the layout, adhering to organizational leadership, correct conceptual orientation, and avoiding problems that had already appeared or had already been dealt with.

Li Xuewu wasn't ignorant of the ways inside; this was a political ecology between superiors and subordinates. Being in the game, Li Xuewu had to face this kind of challenge.

Just like what Dong Wenxue felt, why was cadre adjustment becoming more and more difficult?

This was the rolling mill intentionally setting obstacles for him, not letting his power expand too quickly.

Supporting your work doesn't mean letting you dominate and be the only one who matters.

So organizational work is very complex; it's not as simple as one thinks, nor can just anyone do it.

Han Shu saw the twists and turns inside, which was why she didn't rashly say anything about letting Li Xuewu take a step back to see the broad sky.

That wasn't the case; there's no such thing as taking a step back to see the broad sky in organizational work.

Han Shu looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Do you want me to introduce you? Have a meal together?"

"Hehe, no need."

Li Xuewu smiled and waved his hand, refusing Han Shu's proposal, and said with a smile, "I don't mean to do anything to her; it's all for the sake of work."

"I think so too."

Han Shu nodded with a smile and said, "It's just normal work competition; there's no need to extend it to life, and no need to bring personal emotions into it, so I suggest you talk it over well."

"Mm-mm."

Li Xuewu nodded, gestured to Gu Ning, and said, "After finishing this cup of tea, shall we go home?"

"Okay."

Gu Ning smiled at Li Xuewu, then picked up the jasmine tea on the coffee table.

Han Shu tried to keep them, saying, "It's still early, stay a little longer."

"It's already very late."

Li Xuewu looked at his watch; it was already almost nine o'clock.

"We both have to go to work tomorrow; I still have to send Xiao Ning in when we get home."

"Hehe, you're quite afraid of your mother-in-law, aren't you?"

Han Shu also knew that Li Xuewu and Gu Ning were busy, so she didn't try to keep them any longer, but just made a joke.

Li Xuewu naturally wouldn't talk nonsense in front of Gu Ning, so he smiled and said, "Aunt Ding is very good to me."

"Hehe, you know how to talk, you have a future."

Han Shu praised Li Xuewu, and seeing Gu Ning had already finished the tea in her cup and stood up to put on her coat.

She reminded Li Xuewu, "Don't intensify the conflict, but don't be afraid of it either; if there's anything, you can call me."

"Yes."

Li Xuewu answered, followed Gu Ning to the door, and put on his coat.

Refusing the Master's wife's offer to see them out, the two walked out of the Dong house.

After getting into the car, Li Xuewu started the engine and drove toward the Gu house.

"I'm sorry, I brought you to visit, but all we talked about was work."

In the car, Li Xuewu turned his head to look at Gu Ning and sincerely apologized.

Gu Ning looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Are you always this busy?"

"It's okay."

After Li Xuewu answered, he realized that his sentence was imitating Gu Ning, so he added, "Today, I wanted to spend some time with you, but I also thought I'd take this opportunity to ask about work matters."

Gu Ning looked at Li Xuewu, who was babbling away, covering up his own question.

She thought to herself that this person really knew how to talk, saying he wanted to be with her, but also saying it wouldn't delay work.

"Hehe."

Li Xuewu saw Gu Ning's little thoughts and smiled, "You're not angry with me, are you?"

"No."

Gu Ning shook her head, smiled, and said, "You're busy with work; it's all serious business."

"It won't happen again."

Li Xuewu looked at the road ahead and made a promise to Gu Ning.

"Mm."

Although Gu Ning didn't mind that Li Xuewu had other purposes for bringing her out, Li Xuewu being able to take the initiative to apologize to her and make a promise for the future still made her very happy.