Chapter 521: Ya Guomin

The most unadorned helplessness of the wealthy families in the Four-Nine City, passed down from old times, is that my family has only two houses.

And Following Lou Jie's family is also from the old imperial city wall roots, so they have this same helplessness, because their family's properties are one here, one there...

Not counting the safe houses hidden in the shadows, just the properties on the surface number four or five.

One was given to Following Lou Jie's second uncle's family to live in, one to Following Lou Jie's aunt's family, and another to Following Lou Jie's older sister's family.

Now Following Lou Jie's father and mother live in a residence converted from an office building; this is also the most ordinary of these properties.

However, relying on Following Lou Jie's father's cautious nature, the chosen residence was selected after deep consideration.

The houses given to these close relatives are somewhat better, but they also bear certain obligations for him.

A warning.

No one would notice an old couple first, let alone an old couple living in a modest building.

Li Li Xuewu and Following Lou Jie saw Following Lou Jie's father's thoughts during that visit, but did not ask; this family matter had nothing to do with him whatsoever.

It only confirmed once again that Following Lou Jie's character is truly one of unconditional trust and reliance on her parents.

Following Lou Jie grew up by her parents' side and experienced the stormiest growth period of this country.

So under the deliberate cultivation of Following Lou Jie's father and mother, her character became somewhat spoiled and rustic.

A bit like a foolish daughter of a landlord family, somewhat ignorant of her own life and abilities.

Following Lou Jie's father and mother were helpless; after all, the child had grown up, and trying to educate her now was a bit late.

Just like now, the daughter ran home in a huff, stood in the living room glaring at the two somewhat startled people for a while, then ran upstairs in a huff again.

Following Lou Jie's father let his eyelids droop, too lazy to scold her; who knows what scene she was putting on this time.

Following Lou Jie's mother looked at her husband, then chased after her daughter and went upstairs.

After clarifying the cause, she still persuaded her for quite a while before coming back downstairs.

"What trouble now?"

"It's not her own..."

Seeing her husband's helplessness and impatience, Following Lou Jie's mother hesitated a moment and said, "It's Li Li Xuewu; he's getting married."

Following Lou Jie's father squinted, tilted his head, and snorted, "Isn't this a matter of sooner or later? Only remembering the pain after the needle has pierced through? What were you doing earlier?"

Following Lou Jie's mother frowned and sat back on the sofa, saying, "Sigh~ I told her early on, but she wouldn't listen."

While speaking, she looked at her husband and said, "Her heart is already painful enough; don't say such things."

"Hmph~"

Following Lou Jie's father snorted again, but said nothing more.

After all, she is his own daughter; he couldn't look down on her, but there was also a feeling of hating iron for not becoming steel.

If she had listened to his words and properly found someone to marry, why would such a thing happen again?

That person clearly isn't a kind sort; it's probably just that identity restraining him; otherwise, who knows what kind of bad person he might be.

Following Lou Jie's mother looked at her husband with some worry and said, "Think of a way; you can't just watch this happen."

"What way? What do you want me to do?"

Following Lou Jie's father retorted dismissively, "Stop Li Li Xuewu from marrying? Or separate the two of them? Or should I take money to go propose to marry my daughter to him?"

"I'm not saying that."

Following Lou Jie's mother knew her husband's meaning; she dared not hope for Li Li Xuewu to marry her daughter.

"But this kind of relationship isn't right; this isn't the past anymore; they won't acknowledge it."

"Just endure it; there's no way."

Following Lou Jie's father squinted and said, "She chose it herself; she should have known this day would come. Whenever she figures it out for herself, that's when it will be fine."

Following Lou Jie's mother looked upstairs again; figuring it out basically meant two paths: either figure it out and willingly become his mistress.

Or figure it out and leave proactively, then go find her own happiness.

But these two paths don't matter for a man, but for a woman, it is a very cruel choice.

They all understand the logic; Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe is no longer a child; she needs to take responsibility for her choices.

If the other party's power were insufficient, Following Lou Jie's father could intervene, but now the other party is someone they cannot provoke; making a scene would make everyone look bad.

Which parents don't feel pain for their daughter? But sometimes strength is insufficient.

Everyone must make many choices in a life neither long nor short; Lou Watching Lou Xiaoe must make them, and Gu Ning must too.

Last night Gu Gu Haitao posed a multiple-choice question to his daughter; Gu Ning chose her answer this morning.

And the entire department, even their office and the hospital, were affected by her choice.

Gu Ning heard the gossip of people nearby; today, many doctors she met were asking about her marriage news.

There were phones in the department, but she chose to call Li Li Xuewu from the duty room.

Because no one is in the duty room during ward rounds, so one can make a phone call behind people's backs.

When Li Li Xuewu received Gu Ning's call, he smiled and asked first, "Has Dad's medicinal wine run out?"

Hearing Li Li Xuewu's voice, Gu Ning hesitated a moment, but then replied, "There's still some left."

After replying that sentence, without waiting for Li Li Xuewu to ask again, she said directly, "Mom and Dad have no objections to the plan; I submitted the application this morning. Mom said she wants to go to Haiyun Warehouse with Auntie; she asks what time Auntie is free."

"Is that so?"

Li Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows; he didn't hear anything wrong with Gu Ning over the phone, and smiled, saying, "I'll ask when I get home; I'll arrange a meeting with Mom directly later."

"That's good."

Gu Ning thought it would be best if Li Li Xuewu could arrange it directly, saving her from having to call Li Li Xuewu's home again.

Li Li Xuewu smiled and asked, "Are you free tonight...?"

Before the question was finished, he heard the phone on the other end had already been hung up.

"What's wrong?"

Li Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow but paid it no mind.

Sometimes Ken was simply in a rush with urgent matters; other times, fearing his words might be overheard by colleagues, Gu Ning would abruptly hang up the phone.

He had grown accustomed to this; smiling, he shook his head and placed the receiver back on its cradle.

"Sha Qizhi, do you have a father-in-law?"

"Of course."

Sha Sha Qizhi smiled, lifted his head, closed the document in his hand, and replied to Li Li Xuewu: "I can confirm my beloved did not leap out from a crack in a stone, hehe."

"That much I can see too."

Li Li Xuewu knew Sha Sha Qizhi was joking with him; waving his hand, he explained, "I wanted to ask how you get along with your father-in-law."

Fearing Sha Sha Qizhi might misunderstand, he immediately added, "I just wanted to ask—you know, my father-in-law's status is somewhat special, we haven't had much contact, and soon... you understand, you need to share with me how one deals with a father-in-law."

"Hmm, sometimes a father-in-law is indeed harder to deal with than a mother-in-law."

Sha Sha Qizhi nodded in understanding and said, "This might be the only area where I have more experience than you."

Since Li Li Xuewu was in a good mood today, Sha Sha Qizhi rarely began joking with him as well.

First making a self-deprecating remark, he continued, "However, I imagine my father-in-law's status is also somewhat special; you probably cannot learn any experience from me."

"Is that so?"

Li Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, picked up the teacup from his desk, took a sip, and gestured for Sha Sha Qizhi to elaborate.

Sha Sha Qizhi merely raised a hand and said carelessly, "Just give money."

"Give money?!"

Li Li Xuewu repeated the words in great surprise, then asked doubtfully, "So simple and crude?"

"Yes."

Sha Sha Qizhi nodded affirmatively and smiled, "It's somewhat similar to your situation; I don't meet my father-in-law very often either, maybe just once or twice a year, usually just burning some spirit money..."

Li Li Xuewu: "..."

Restraining the impulse to throw the cup in his hand, he smiled speechlessly and pointed at Sha Sha Qizhi.

Sha Sha Qizhi also chuckled and replied, "I already said you wouldn't learn any experience from me."

"Ha, you're right."

Li Li Xuewu shook his head and said, "Your father-in-law's status is indeed 'special,' and easy to settle."

"Hahaha~"

Sha Sha Qizhi walked over with a smile to refill Li Li Xuewu's teacup with hot water, then comforted him, "I don't feel you are unable to handle your father-in-law; it's just that you demand too much of yourself."

While speaking, he placed the thermos beside the desk and continued, "Excessive pursuit of perfection may backfire; I still suggest you just perform normally."

"Perhaps you are right."

Li Li Xuewu nodded with a smile and asked, "Has the notification been delivered to the training ground?"

"Yes, a reply has been received."

Seeing Li Li Xuewu shift to work matters, Sha Sha Qizhi put away his smile and answered seriously, "Tomorrow morning, Li Kezhang Wei Tong will lead the team; all training personnel will board trucks and proceed directly to Chengxi."

Knowing Li Li Xuewu wanted details, Sha Sha Qizhi continued reporting, "According to the plan, except for those on duty, everyone from the Security Section will be led by Li Kezhang Han, board trucks, and accompany you to Chengxi."

"Hmm, cross-check the timing with the First Detention Center."

After giving this final instruction, Li Li Xuewu returned to the work at hand.

Sha Sha Qizhi acknowledged the order and left the office; he needed to make arrangements for Li Li Xuewu's itinerary tomorrow.

Li Li Xuewu lifted his head to gaze at the sunlight outside; sitting in this office, he often found himself recalling past times.

Back then, he had not yet qualified to sit here working every day; instead, he was busy toiling in the section office daily.

Frowning over tasks assigned from above, or devising solutions for them.

Now it was his turn to assign tasks to the cadres below, making them frown.

Li Li Xuewu's sentimentality was not due to today's fine sun, nor because he had grown old, but because he had received a phone call from the Discipline and Inspection Commission today.

Yes, Fu Bin had not waited for his family; he had departed one step ahead.

This was a matter Li Li Xuewu deeply, deeply regretted; had he been at the hospital last night, he would have unhesitatingly paid for the medicine out of his own pocket to keep Fu Bin alive a few days longer.

Had he lived just a few more days, he would have been able to be completely together with his family.

A family, after all, ought to be whole and intact.

"Director, there is some news."

Just as Li Li Xuewu was feeling regretful and blaming those guards for their lack of initiative, Yu Yu Decai entered holding a report, his expression somewhat serious.

Li Li Xuewu first glanced at Yu Yu Decai, then took the report from him.

Clearly, this was not a newspaper, nor even a briefing, but a type of internal messaging document from the Rolling Steel Plant that wasn't quite a newspaper.

Yesterday, the twenty-seventh, two leaders traveled abroad, passing through the border regions for a brief inspection.

After listening to reports from local cadres, they particularly praised enterprises based in the capital, represented by the Rolling Steel Plant, and affirmed the efforts and contributions of these enterprises in supporting the border regions and in disaster relief and rescue operations.

"The leaders must already know, right?"

"Barring any unexpected developments."

Yu Yu Decai looked at Li Li Xuewu with some concern, unsure what advice or opinion he should offer him.

Li Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes, considered for a moment, and said, "According to regulations, isn't it time for the security cadres at the Border Office to rotate?"

"Yes, next month."

Yu Yu Decai had naturally thought of these methods, but they could not fundamentally resolve the hidden danger.

"Then let's adjust the scope of the security rotation posts."

Li Li Xuewu knocked on the desk and said, "Tell the Gangcheng Security Division to implement a three-location rotation system; have them submit the list of the first batch of personnel rotating to the capital and to the border regions. The list must be representative; no petty tricks are to be played."

"What about the timing?"

Yu Yu Decai understood Li Li Xuewu's meaning and asked, "Still two months?"

"No, three months."

Li Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said firmly, "All cadres below the section level must implement a rotation system. Cadres rotating in Beijing and the security personnel will be automatically assigned to the training ground to participate in training and study, considered a form of training."

"Yes."

Yu Yu Decai responded, then moved to execute the order, but Li Li Xuewu waved his hand, called him back, and instructed, "Also, when the personnel from the mountain come down next month, send up the office staff and security and other frontline personnel. The Security Department must be a united and powerful collective."

"Understood."

Yu Yu Decai nodded very seriously, and seeing that Li Li Xuewu had nothing more to say, turned and walked out.

What Li Li Xuewu said was already very clear; the signs had appeared, so the weeds in the courtyard must be cleared, otherwise, if the weeds grow seeds, it will be troublesome.

Wildfire cannot burn them all; the spring breeze blows and they grow again; that doesn't work here.

Li Li Xuewu's mood was very bad now, full of twists and turns, especially during such a critical period.

Even the crisp female voice from the broadcast outside the window reading his own article sounded a bit grating to him, very annoying.

Yu Yu Haitang was reading with great enthusiasm at this moment, completely unaware that the manuscript she had written all night and her emotional reading had become noise in the ears of the person involved.

According to her thinking, since she supported Li Li Xuewu so much and helped him so much, she would surely attract his attention.

He would thank her!

Yu Yu Haitang had even prepared everything, in case Li Li Xuewu had needs.

She was a person who dared to "do" and dared to "take responsibility"; even in the office, it didn't matter; as long as she could get close to Li Li Xuewu, she had a way to make Li Li Xuewu marry her.

"Yo yo yo, frowning even when listening to praise?"

Li Li Xuewu's office was not a place anyone could enter, unless Sha Sha Qizhi knew them, or Yu Yu Decai knew them.

The Yu Yu Decai who came at this moment was known by both of them, and his relationship with Li Li Xuewu was also quite special.

Yu Yu Daru, the person in charge of the Confidentiality Department executing missions at the Rolling Steel Factory, and also the party involved in the Yi Yi Zhonghai case.

Don't look at him as just a party involved; Li Li Xuewu fought for several compensations for Yi Yi Zhonghai, the only one he couldn't fight for was from the Confidentiality Department.

Nothing else; this department is quite ruthless. Compensation? What are you thinking!

However, according to Li Li Xuewu's estimate, this department didn't have much fat to skim either, unlike the Investigation Department which had external power; otherwise, they wouldn't be so bold.

Li Li Xuewu understood the mindset of Yu Yu Daru's leader; he had been like that when he was young, poor and aggressive.

"Aren't you leaving by car? Why come back?"

Li Li Xuewu didn't stand up, just threw the cigarette pack at his side onto the opposite seat.

Yu Yu Daru shook his head, walked to the opposite side of the desk, sat down, picked up the cigarette pack from the table, put one in his mouth, and lit a match.

"If I say I miss you and can't bear to leave, will you believe me?"

"Mm, I believe you."

Li Li Xuewu said while pulling a pistol from his waist and pointing it at the opposite side, "If you dare to be disrespectful to me again, I'll make you really have no 'big' or 'small' left, do you believe me?"

"Believe, believe, believe, I believe!"

Yu Yu Daru put his palms together, bowed to Li Li Xuewu, and apologized repeatedly, "It's my fault, it's me being disrespectful to the leader, I was wrong."

Li Li Xuewu glanced at him, then put away the pistol and said, "Speak if you have words, fart if you have shit."

Yu Yu Daru looked at Li Li Xuewu's expression, leaned in, and asked, "Didn't you say you were getting married? Why do you look like this?"

Li Li Xuewu rolled his eyes and reached for his waist again.

"Alright, alright, alright!"

Yu Yu Daru, with a look of fear, said, "I just came to ask, should the carriage mentioned last time be sent directly to Steel City?"

"What do you think?"

Li Li Xuewu retorted, "Do you think it's very capable and very funny that you pulled such a clearly marked carriage from the south to the north?"

"Uh... you speak, you speak."

Yu Yu Daru knew he hadn't chosen the right time to come today; damn, what kind of temper does this dog person have?

When things are good, they hug shoulders and call each other brothers; when they turn their backs, they bare their teeth and snarl.

Li Li Xuewu moved the teacup at his side and asked, "Where did you enter the pass?"

"What pass?"

Yu Yu Daru didn't understand what Li Li Xuewu meant, and repeated, "Enter the pass?"

"Otherwise?"

Li Li Xuewu said impatiently, "Does the train not enter the pass? Does it fly back?"

"Ah! Enter the pass."

Yu Yu Daru smiled and explained, "We enter the pass but don't go through the checkpoint; no one will check our train."

Li Li Xuewu tugged at the corner of his mouth, took a puff of smoke, then asked, "Do you have connections over there?"

Yu Yu Daru was unsure of the meaning in Li Li Xuewu's words and asked hesitantly, "What kind of connections are you talking about?"

Li Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes and said, "How about bringing back a whole carriage of women?"

"Heh, heh, don't joke."

Yu Yu Daru knew Li Li Xuewu was just messing with him, took a puff of smoke, then asked, "Should I come back tomorrow?"

Li Li Xuewu looked at him, waited a while, then spoke, "Don't tell me you plan to come back with an empty train."

"Ah, this..."

Yu Yu Daru frowned, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I'm not sure if there are other arrangements, but these carriages won't return immediately upon arrival because the blood storage situation over there is also worrying."

"And then?"

Li Li Xuewu wanted an accurate answer, not uncertainty.

Yu Yu Daru took a puff of smoke, then looked at Li Li Xuewu and said, "Deputy Director Li, I believe in you, and my leader also believes in you, so just speak directly if you have anything to say."

Li Li Xuewu tapped his cigarette butt against the ashtray, then said, "I know you're being cautious, but this is a rare opportunity to go abroad. Even if you haul back a truckload of watermelons and pineapples from Annan, your unit could make a fortune. So, you need to tell me your actual plan."

To be honest, Li Li Xuewu didn't trust these people; it wasn't because they weren't in the same unit. Even if these bastards were from the Rolling Steel Factory, Li Li Xuewu still wouldn't trust them.

Unless those train cars were surnamed Li.

"I haven't considered what you mentioned."

Yu Yu Daru thought for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Over there, they're at war. Are you sure they have watermelons and pineapples?"

Li Li Xuewu just stared at Yu Yu Daru, not wanting to say a word; the question was utterly stupid.

Even during wartime, would it stop ordinary folks from farming?

Yu Yu Daru possessed that stubborn tenacity of clinging to Qingshan and refusing to let go; since Li Li Xuewu wasn't speaking, he wouldn't speak either.

Li Li Xuewu glanced at the ashtray on the table; surely today wasn't the day to break the rules?

"Annan is a tropical country; fruit is its primary product. Asking that is as stupid as asking me whether there are Jingcheng natives in the Four-Nine City."

Yu Yu Daru raised an eyebrow, ignoring Li Li Xuewu's sarcasm, and continued asking, "Then what about May? What fruits does Annan produce in May?"

Li Li Xuewu looked at Yu Yu Daru and jerked his chin; the look in his eyes that wanted to knife someone was impossible to hide.

Yu Yu Daru also understood the meaning in Li Li Xuewu's gaze: Are you seriously asking this question?

Actually, he really did want to ask, because this matter was truly his to handle; he came today to confirm details, as he would be responsible for the trip to Annan later.

"Mangoes, bananas, lychees, coffee beans..."

Li Li Xuewu casually listed a few items, then asked, "Do you even know what coffee is?"

"Of course; do you think I'm some backward hick?"

Yu Yu Daru raised an eyebrow, feeling deeply insulted, and said very seriously, "What? You want some? I'll bring back several tons for you; you can stir-fry and eat them."

Li Li Xuewu looked at this kid again, nodded, and said, "Your reckless bullshitting style greatly resembles my own from back in the day."

He was certain that the backward hick in front of him had no damn idea what coffee beans were, yet he talked about several tons.

"Fruit is the safest choice, but I don't recommend it."

Li Li Xuewu couldn't be bothered to haggle with him; picking up the documents, he said, "Annan is at war; weapons are the most expensive, while everything else is dirt cheap. Even if you picked blindly with your eyes closed, you wouldn't lose money."

"Spices, perfumes, silk, traditional Chinese medicines, jadeite, jewels, He He Yushi..."

"Hey, hey, hey!"

The more Yu Yu Daru listened, the more his heart trembled; if they really did this, this train trip would truly never return.

He didn't have Li Li Xuewu's boldness, reaching for whatever looked good; he had already made up his mind: it would be fruit.

Domestically, only Hainan produces tropical fruits; under current conditions, the North simply has no access to them.

Last month, a certain factory, for outstanding work performance, rewarded someone with a mango the size of a rugby ball; the factory leaders displayed it on a platter lined with red cloth for the workers to see.

Li Li Xuewu grimaced upon seeing that picture; such things weren't cheap even in later generations, but they certainly didn't warrant such a fuss.

Even with certain political factors adding weight, surely one mango didn't deserve all this commotion.

Ultimately, such fruits were just uncommon in the North.

Of course, this applied to ordinary people; certain social strata were excluded.

Yu Yu Daru interrupted Li Li Xuewu, glanced at the cigarette butt in his hand, and stubbed it out in the ashtray.

Then, looking at Li Li Xuewu, he asked, "To be honest, I'm going on this trip too; I'm not the person in overall charge, but I do have some authority. If you want something, speak up quickly; once you miss this chance, there won't be another."

"Heh heh."

Li Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows with a smile and asked, "Are you serious?"

"Uh, but don't go beyond the syllabus."

Yu Yu Daru, aware of his limited capabilities, wouldn't allow Li Li Xuewu to make demands at will, so he set a restriction.

"It's still what I said earlier: get me a few Annan women."

"Damn it."

Yu Yu Daru was speechless; was this guy sick today, just fucking around with him?

"If you don't say anything real, I'm leaving. If you want Annan women, there are plenty at the school; your factory even has some. Why would I need to bring them back from the South for you?"

This statement wasn't false at all; during this period, there were indeed many Annanese in the country, very many.

Just as we once went to Brother Mao's place to study, now the Annanese come here to study.

Those at the schools are international students; those in the factories are trainee workers. The Rolling Steel Factory has them too; quite a few in the workshops, over two hundred.

Other units have several hundred, even over a thousand, all of the same nature.

Li Li Xuewu didn't believe Yu Yu Daru could actually bring him anything, but since the kid had offered, he replied, "I've heard they produce particularly good perfume and agarwood over there; if it's convenient, bring me some."

"Understood."

Yu Yu Daru curled his lip, knowing Li Li Xuewu looked down on his abilities, yet he still dared not lose his temper with Li Li Xuewu.

"Just these two items, then? Wait for my return; it'll take over a month, but I guarantee I'll bring them."

Having said this, he didn't bother haggling with Li Li Xuewu further; he stood up, exchanged a greeting, and left.

Li Li Xuewu kept his head down looking at the documents and ignored him; he knew the maintenance workshop project was completed because Liu Liu Haizhong, who lived opposite his home, hadn't returned.

During construction, even with night shifts, workers went home during the day; now, not going home all day was because he was accepting disciplinary action in the detention cell.

One month; it began the day after the project's completion.

Nowadays, Liu Liu Guangtian comes here every day to deliver meals and attend to his father; unless the detention in this cell is short-term, meals are always provided by family members.

Short-term detention isn't free food either; the wool will ultimately be sheared through fines.

What makes the Security Department special compared to other departments is its power of detention and authority to impose fines.

There is also the power of law enforcement; although it has been neutered, it remains quite deterrent.

One only needs to know that security personnel carry firearms while on duty; those guns contain bullets.

When morning shift ended, Li Li Huai De's phone call never came; Li Li Xuewu guessed Li Li Huai De's intentions, ate lunch without concern, and then headed to the Public Security Brigade.

The sub-bureau was relatively calm; Li Li Xuewu once again attended a cultural lesson taught by a female instructor.

It had to be said that university graduates indeed had a solid foundation; with just a bit of training and guidance, their competence was already evident in the classroom.

Li Li Xuewu still made no contact with the female instructor giving the lecture, quietly slipping out of the classroom before the session ended.

In the afternoon, he held a meeting with Shen Fang and several others, then went out to inspect several posts on the street, checking everything from duty hours and coverage areas to carried police equipment and personal appearance.

Li Li Xuewu meticulously inspected the magazine, confirming that bullets were properly loaded inside, before finally nodding in approval.

Nevertheless, he pointed out some grime on the firearm to remind Shen Fang that weapon maintenance was itself a form of training.

Shen Fang certainly did not think Li Li Xuewu was splitting hairs; right next door was the Kuozi Kuozi Bayi Sixth Regiment, from which most standards for training and mission execution were derived.

He wanted to explain to Li Li Xuewu that this was the gun used for daily duty, where dust accumulation on the streets was inevitable.

However, he held back and said nothing, because Li Li Xuewu was the top leader and naturally would not listen to his explanations.

Some things must be done but not spoken of; some things must be spoken of but not done.

"I was just looking for you."

Seeing Li Li Xuewu return to the office, Wang Wang Xiaoqin stepped out and called out, "The sub-bureau has requested a thought report; it requires no less than two thousand characters."

"Oh, understood."

Li Li Xuewu never joked about work, especially regarding such documents; they had to be written seriously and reviewed carefully, for with one's name signed in black and white on white paper, absolutely no errors could be allowed.

Wang Wang Xiaoqin did not stop walking just because Li Li Xuewu had agreed; instead, she followed him into the office and continued, "I've contacted Huang Gan, Wang Zheng, and the others; we've scheduled it for this weekend."

"Is that so?"

Li Li Xuewu took off his coat, hung it on the rack, then walked behind his desk, sat down, picked up manuscript paper and a fountain pen, and said, "In that case, I'll speak to the manager of our factory's guesthouse tomorrow to reserve a small conference room for us."

"Forget it, too much trouble."

Wang Wang Xiaoqin sat down on the sofa and said, "Huang Gan mentioned there's a Fulai Teahouse at Beixinqiao; the location is good and convenient, so he wants to meet there."

"That works too."

Li Li Xuewu unscrewed his fountain pen to draft an outline, speaking without interrupting his handiwork and working without pausing his speech.

"This fellow Huang Gan has a touch of the scholar's demeanor; he's always trying to arrange something refined."

After commenting on Huang Gan, Li Li Xuewu looked up, smiled at Wang Wang Xiaoqin, and said, "But next time we'll go to our own base; I'm allergic to refinement—too much of it makes me sick."

Wang Wang Xiaoqin laughed, "This is truly the first time I've heard of someone being allergic to refinement; are you really that vulgar?"

"Hey! Exactly!"

Li Li Xuewu lowered his head again to draft a detailed outline, then checked whether it addressed the topic, whether the format was proper, whether the theme was clear, and whether the ideology was correct.

Once everything was confirmed, his pen danced like a dragon and a snake, his mouth never idle and his hands never resting.

"As for me, I am thoroughly vulgar; I cannot tolerate even a speck of refinement. Things like the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, classical poetry, opera, or music—I know nothing of them, understand nothing of them."

"Then I really must learn from you."

By now, Wang Wang Xiaoqin had clearly understood what this fellow was saying; apparently, he belonged to the cricket species, for at the slightest breeze or rustle of grass, he immediately reacted like this.

Li Li Xuewu did not feel this was merely a slight breeze or rustle of grass; a great wind was blowing so hard it was about to smoke, wasn't it?

Just consider what he had heard and seen today.

With the two second-in-commands of the Party and Army going out, and the top leader already in Magic City, there was no need to ask: anyone with a sensitive political nose was currently trembling; those slightly better off were only a tiny, tiny bit better!

"Ai~"

Hearing Wang Wang Xiaoqin's words, Li Li Xuewu shook his head in disagreement and said, "Let's learn from each other; when three walk together, one must be my teacher. Vulgarity shouldn't be just our vulgarity; I think Huang Gan should also get a bit vulgar."

"I think so too."

Wang Wang Xiaoqin smiled and agreed with Li Li Xuewu; the two seemed to be joking, yet amidst this banter, the matter was already settled.

Every one of them was a figure fighting at the crest of the wind and waves; none of them was simple.

Take Wang Wang Xiaoqin, for instance: her spouse was constantly operating under tension, while Wang Wang Xiaoqin herself had leaped beyond the Three Realms and entered the Five Elements of Li Li Xuewu.

Although they belonged to the same system, the Public Security Brigade was purer.

Li Li Xuewu had structured the Public Security Brigade's organization to be extremely "safe"; no storm could destroy everything.

And the Public Security Brigade was everything, yet it was also nothing.

The core personnel of the Public Security Brigade consisted only of Li Li Xuewu down to the squadron leaders, totaling just a few individuals.

All other team members and the small squad leaders selected from among them were personnel from various units.

Gathered, they were a blazing fire; scattered, they were certainly not a loose sheet of sand.

Few could understand this move of Li Li Xuewu's, and Wang Wang Xiaoqin had only discovered it after arriving here and conducting detailed observation and investigation.

Just by observing how long Li Li Xuewu had worked here, one could realize that this move was both a means of self-preservation and a sharp blade for striking out.

No other powerful agency possessed such a professional armed force; even the Ministry would have to mobilize the Public Security Army.

But that, after all, required mobilization, didn't it? The current Public Security Brigade was ready with just one word from Li Li Xuewu.

Four hundred men, neither more nor less; more would arouse suspicion, fewer would be useless.

As long as the Public Security Brigade existed, Li Li Xuewu existed; as long as Li Li Xuewu existed, the Public Security Brigade existed.

Figures entangled within would actively attach themselves and actively protect; this was Li Li Xuewu's overt strategy.

Li Li Xuewu was both the builder of this force and its first leader; in the process of construction, he ultimately had to imbue this force with a soul and a character.

Henceforth, regardless of the passage of time or the turnover of personnel within the Public Security Brigade, this soul would remain forever.

Sometimes Wang Wang Xiaoqin discussed Li Li Xuewu with her spouse, wondering what kind of family, education, or living environment had created such an exceedingly intelligent, capable, and decisive figure.

Everyone who had interacted with Li Li Xuewu could feel his personal charisma; in the training class, regarding age, Li Li Xuewu was the youngest, regarding seniority he had none at all, and regarding background—if Li Li Xuewu's family could even be counted as one.

Yet this seemingly ordinary young man had achieved the most brilliant results upon graduation.

He had surpassed every one of these old comrades, yet made them completely convinced and admiring.

To be surpassed by a junior or a younger person did not make them jealous or vengeful, but they still harbored some petty thoughts.

But now, Li Li Xuewu had merely issued a call, and whether it was the uniquely charactered Huang Gan or the deeply connected Zhou Hu Zhengquan, both had responded with great face.

This was merely them relaying the message; Li Li Xuewu had not even shown his face, yet the effect was already beyond what these old comrades could achieve.

Wang Wang Xiaoqin's husband greatly envied his wife's such opportunity, supporting her in helping Li Li Xuewu establish the club, and further supporting her in providing assistance and support to Li Li Xuewu in his work.

Working in the same unit, with the full support of the Political Commissar, Li Li Xuewu's work could not be more comfortable.

Now he was indeed comfortable; while chatting with Wang Wang Xiaoqin, he had already finished writing a thought report of over two thousand characters.

After checking it once and modifying a few rhetorical usages, he stood up, walked to the sofa, and handed it to Wang Wang Xiaoqin.

"Come, Comrade Political Commissar, help me correct this."

"I knew it wouldn't stump you."

Wang Wang Xiaoqin took Li Li Xuewu's report manuscript and praised him with great confidence.

Li Li Xuewu said he was vulgar, but he was referring to his ideology, not his ability; everyone knew this person's cultural level was extremely high, his political ideology extremely resilient, and his articles brilliant yet not flowery, capable yet rich in substance.

If it were not for Li Li Xuewu's outstanding ability and special status, Liu Zheng, the Deputy Director of the Training Department of the Ministry and instructor at the training class, would have transferred him to work at the Ministry.

To say nothing of anything else, just this writing style and ability, few could match it.

Do not say that writing improves with age, nor that seniority is always better; it shares some commonalities with martial arts practice, where young people's stamina is stronger than that of old comrades.

When an old comrade writes one hundred characters, a young person with equal pen strength can write two hundred, and still have time to come here and chat idly for a while.

Taking the manuscript to read through once, Wang Wang Xiaoqin was not looking for faults, but rather checking the meaning Li Li Xuewu intended to express.

There was no need to look for faults; anything that reached her hands would absolutely not contain errors.

One could tell how cautious and careful this person was just by seeing that Li Li Xuewu's secretary, Sha Sha Qizhi, collected the waste paper from the wastebasket every day.

It was no wonder Li Li Xuewu was so careful; Li Li Xuewu truly knew that there were bad people among the masses.

"You really are vulgar."

After reading it, Wang Wang Xiaoqin could only use this joking remark to critique Li Li Xuewu's article.

Li Li Xuewu demanded very strict standards from this team; there was simply no such thing as home leave, and those who missed their families could only catch a glimpse of them while their families were on duty.

The cultivation of combat effectiveness and fighting spirit cannot be established overnight; it requires step-by-step tempering and forging in habits and daily life.

A person leaves a name, a goose leaves a sound; since Li Li Xuewu had found a stage upon the waves of the era, he certainly would not just dance a bit of the 'Horse Riding Dance,' for that would be worthless.

"If you find no issues, I will submit it as is."

Li Li Xuewu smiled, took the manuscript, and handed it to Sha Sha Qizhi, who was waiting nearby, for him to transcribe it, after which Li Li Xuewu would sign it.

Unless one was extremely close to him, no one knew that there were no documents written by Li Li Xuewu himself in his filing cabinet, except for signatures.

Even those articles he wrote and manuscripts like today's would be destroyed in the form of shredded paper.

As for signatures, in this era, if one wanted to compare handwriting, heh, Li Li Xuewu had a million reasons to defend himself.

However, he also prepared for situations where defense was impossible, which would require special external force.

For instance, the four hundred men and four hundred guns in the Public Security Brigade compound, and the seven hundred men and seven hundred guns at the Rolling Steel Factory.

These were not capital Li Li Xuewu actively sought for anything, but rather "Miss Qiu," a form of deterrence.

After chatting with Wang Wang Xiaoqin for a few moments about brigade matters, once Sha Sha Qizhi finished the transcription and Li Li Xuewu signed and handed it over, Li Li Xuewu went to attend to work on this side.

Busy every day, busy until the sun set.

He got off work right on time; fortunately, he lived close by. After getting out of the car, Li Li Xuewu did not walk toward the main gate, because the Old Lady was holding Li Shu and standing at the entrance of the storefront, talking to someone.