Chapter 556: Steel City Has No Jiaodaokou

Guandong knew the human heart, and he knew human nature even better.

At a critical moment like this, there was no point in spouting nonsense; escaping with his life was what mattered most.

Surrounded by four burly men, he had no choice but to use money to pave his way out.

This was the magic weapon that had made him invincible and unstoppable in the past.

Money can make the devil turn the millstone; with enough money, you can even make the millstone turn the devil.

And so, gold—the gold he had prepared for his escape—was his choice for "road-buying" money.

A wily rabbit has three burrows; he still had more of these assets. As long as he could survive, none of this would be a problem.

After all, "a thousand gold pieces spent will return again."

As long as the green hills remain, one needn't worry about firewood. Admitting defeat and saving one's life—there was nothing shameful about that.

"You're trying to shame me here~"

Li Xuewu switched the cigarette to his other hand, flicked the ash, pursed his lips, and looked at Guandong with utter disdain.

"No, it's just making a friend."

Guandong's attitude remained unhurried and neither servile nor overbearing. He spread his hands and said, "It's perfectly normal for friends to exchange wealth; there's no question of shame."

After saying this, he looked at the few people around and said, "You friends have worked hard. There's a share for you too; consider it a token of my sincerity."

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you really not trying to shame me?"

"Heh heh, absolutely not."

Seeing Li Xuewu's attitude soften, Guandong's smile became much more sincere. He waved his hand and said, "It is fate that I meet you all today, and for Brother Li to travel thousands of miles to find me—this is only right."

Li Xuewu pursed his lips, nodded, and asked, "How much? You have to give me a specific number."

After saying this, he gestured toward the people around him and said softly, "You know, living in the capital is not easy, heh heh, right?"

Guandong smiled and narrowed his eyes. Li Xuewu was still quoting classics at him even now, using Bai Juyi's allusion to needle him.

"Easy to say, easy to say."

Guandong looked around. The people watching the commotion were still far away, so he no longer had any reservations.

"I won't hide anything. For you, Li Chu, I'll give ten thousand. For the others, three thousand each."

As Guandong spoke, he watched Li Xuewu's expression. He didn't care about the others; Li Xuewu was the one he cared about most.

Li Xuewu was the one calling the shots here. As long as he nodded and took the lead in accepting it, the matter would be easy to handle.

Guan Haishan didn't know how things had changed so drastically—from being blocked, to being shocked by Li Xuewu's identity, and now watching him negotiate prices with his own father...

For a nineteen-year-old, this kind of impact was a bit hard to accept.

Behind all this, was it the extinction of conscience, the degradation of morality, or the distortion of human nature...

"Ten~ thou~sand~"

Li Xuewu drew out the number in his mouth. It was unclear whether he thought it was too much, too little, or if he was satisfied or mocking.

Both Guandong and Guan Haishan watched Li Xuewu's eyes, while Han Jiankun remained steadfast, holding his pistol pointed at Guandong.

In his heart, the Section Chief was a noble person, someone who had transcended low-level interests and was devoted to his work. How could he sell his conscience for a mere ten thousand yuan?

Indeed, Li Xuewu held a mocking attitude toward the price Guandong offered.

Was he trying to brush off a beggar?

He had traveled all the way from the capital, enduring the hardships of the journey, and he was only offering ten thousand?

"Sigh~ So this is the price of friendship in Steel City."

Li Xuewu nodded and said with a smile, "Let's talk about whether you're going to confess to me, or if I should send you to Xiang Yunnian."

"Not satisfied? That's fair."

Guandong nodded and said, "You wouldn't bow for ten thousand yuan in the capital, but you have to understand our poor, remote place."

After a bit of back-and-forth, Guandong crossed his legs, tilted his head slightly, and said, "I'll give you fifty thousand. How about you send me to the ferry crossing?"

"And!"

After saying this, Guandong leaned forward slightly, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Help me get rid of those two... I'll add another twenty thousand. How about that?"

Li Xuewu tilted his head, looked at Guandong, who had leaned back into his seat, and asked, "Since you've already abandoned your wife and used the Zhong family as a target, why bother?"

"No, it's different."

Guandong shook his finger with great contempt and said, "I can't afford to lose face like that."

"Understood."

Li Xuewu nodded, winked at Han Jiankun, and said, "How about it? Given our relationship, how about I hand this job to you?"

As he spoke, he held up two fingers and said, "Just two bullets, and twenty thousand is in the bag."

When Guandong heard Li Xuewu say this, he knew there was no room for negotiation, and his body couldn't help but lean back.

Han Jiankun didn't take Li Xuewu's bait at all. He knew how cynical his leader could be.

To put it bluntly, he was just bored. They had to take this father and son back to Steel City by transferring trains at the next stop.

So, even if they weren't spouting nonsense here, they would still be detaining and controlling the two of them.

Guandong also saw Li Xuewu's intention. A tiger doesn't lose its dignity even in death; he chose to shut his mouth now. The more he said, the greater his crimes would be later.

Li Xuewu ignored him. Since the person had already been caught, whether or not he confessed was no longer up to him. Those few lads from the Investigation Department were waiting to experiment with the dirty tricks they had learned from Li Xuewu.

By then, let alone what Li Xuewu wanted to know, he would likely spill everything he didn't even want to know.

"Want one?"

Li Xuewu waved his hand, signaling Han Jiankun to pull Guandong out to handcuff him and conduct a body search.

This was procedure, especially regarding sharp weapons or any iron objects on his person; he could not be allowed to carry them.

He was alive when caught; if he died while being brought back, that would be a huge problem.

Guandong was dragged from his seat by Han Jiankun and the others, pressed directly to the ground, and then the search began.

Li Xuewu, however, could not bear to watch such a scene of father-son affection right now, so he chose to turn his gaze toward Guan Haishan.

Guan Haishan stared blankly as his father, whom he considered invincible and capable of anything, was treated like a live pig; he didn't even notice the cigarette case Li Xuewu was gesturing with.

Li Xuewu pursed his lips, placed the cigarette case in his hand onto the table in the middle, and then shifted his seat to the other side.

"Want to chat?"

Li Xuewu tapped the cigarette in his hand against the crumpled cigarette case on the table. It was unclear what had happened, but this pack of Zhongnanhai cigarettes had been crushed into a ball.

Over there, Guandong had already been handcuffed and forced to squat on the ground. Li Xuewu waved his hand, signaling them to move behind Guan Haishan.

Guan Haishan watched his father being taken away, his body not daring to move an inch.

Regarding Li Xuewu's proposal to chat, he knew he didn't have the courage to refuse; he could only face it.

Seeing Guan Haishan looking at him, Li Xuewu nodded, took a puff of his cigarette, and asked, "So, everything you told me about your background is true? Or was it a lie you prepared beforehand?"

"True."

Guan Haishan looked at Li Xuewu for a moment before answering.

However, he was gritting his teeth—not out of hatred, but out of nervousness, wondering if he would be treated the same way as his father.

Li Xuewu did not offer him any reassuring conditions, nor did he even say how he would be dealt with.

"Alright, that part is over."

Li Xuewu took another puff of his cigarette, then stubbed it out and stuffed the butt into the cigarette case.

Leaning back against the hardwood seat, he looked at Guan Haishan with a serious expression and asked, "Who taught you your counter-surveillance skills?"

After asking, Li Xuewu pointed a finger at him and emphasized, "You're doubting my age and status, aren't you? Let me tell you, I rose to this position by taking heads, so don't even think about trying to fool me."

Li Xuewu had no interest in interrogating an old rogue like Guandong right now; he lacked the right tools, the environment wasn't suitable, and the timing was off, so he couldn't be bothered to talk seriously with him.

But for a fledgling brat like Guan Haishan, Li Xuewu still felt he could get something out of him.

Especially by using his serious side, which was very effective on these people, such as with Zhou Changli.

Perhaps sensing Li Xuewu's sincerity, Guan Haishan didn't dare to lie and directly blurted out a few names.

Unsurprisingly, Yu Min was among them. This kid was also very cunning, having never exposed the fact that Guandong had a son.

Li Xuewu also knew what he was thinking: the less said, the lighter the crime.

"Tell me about Guandong. His planned escape route and the people meeting him."

"I... I'm not very clear."

Guan Haishan's speech was stumbling; it was unclear if he didn't know much or if he was hesitating to speak.

Li Xuewu kicked out from under the small table, striking Guan Haishan directly on the shin.

He had held back some force with that blow, otherwise, Guan Haishan would have been crippled for life.

Even though Li Xuewu had been careful, Guan Haishan still cried out in pain, causing the passengers who had been calmed down by the attendants to look over again.

Li Xuewu ignored Guan Haishan's grimacing face, kept his cold expression, and grabbed him by the collar to prevent him from bending down to rub his shin.

"I'll ask you one more time, and I'll warn you: I won't give you a second chance to make me ask again. Tell me his next plan."

"I... I..."

Guan Haishan knew his father was right behind him and must be able to hear what he was saying.

He also saw those people stuffing something into his father's mouth, so his father couldn't speak.

Listening to the muffled sounds behind him, Guan Haishan gritted his teeth and said, "Jump off the train halfway and return to Steel City."

"And then?"

Seeing that he had learned to be obedient, Li Xuewu released his collar but continued to press him with questions.

"Then go to Feng City and take a boat out to sea."

Guan Haishan curled his legs onto the seat, constantly rubbing his shin with his hand.

Being struck in this spot was exceptionally painful, more so than being kicked in the thigh, as it hurt directly on the bone.

Li Xuewu tapped his fingers on the small table and asked, "What about the people? Who will meet him?"

"Didn't... didn't say, really!"

Seeing Li Xuewu about to move again, Guan Haishan shrank into the corner of the seat, unable to help raising his volume to indicate the truthfulness of his confession.

Li Xuewu was just trying to scare him; seeing his appearance, he withdrew his hand.

"What about the luggage? Where are the things he's carrying?"

"I don't know, I really don't know."

Guan Haishan shook his head, explaining anxiously, "I just followed his arrangements, waited at the train station, and boarded the train after seeing his signal. I don't know anything about the subsequent arrangements."

Li Xuewu looked seriously into his eyes; it didn't seem like he was lying, but it could be investigated slowly.

From the train halfway, to the Steel City station, then to Feng City, and finally to the ferry crossing—he would track it down slowly.

The subsequent journey became dull and tedious. When Li Xuewu and his team got off the train, they handcuffed Guan Haishan, though not in the same way they had Guandong.

The special agents specifically asked the attendants for rope. Even if they didn't tie him up completely, at least his upper body was bound, and his feet were tethered, just like treating a death-row prisoner.

Li Xuewu hadn't intended to be so serious, but those few lads felt they had been exhausted all night because of this bastard, so the more Guandong cared about something, the more they would trample on it.

After waiting at the station for a while, they boarded the return train. Because of their special status, they greeted the station staff and found a less crowded carriage.

As soon as they returned to the Steel City station, Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong and the others were already waiting on the platform.

Seeing Guandong being escorted off the train, Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong also let out a long sigh of relief.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"It wasn't hard."

Li Xuewu smiled, swatted away Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong's hands as he reached out to shake his, and chose to pat his arm instead.

This left Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong between laughter and tears.

"You bastard, you're still holding a grudge!"

"Don't be ungrateful!"

Li Xuewu curled his lip, gestured toward Guan Haishan, and said, "If I were holding a grudge, he would have had to crawl back. He actually said I'm uglier than you."

"What the hell?!"

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong was unsettled upon hearing this, glared at Guan Haishan, who was already stunned over there, and then pulled Li Xuewu's arm to the side.

Guan Haishan wanted to explain, but he had no chance. Just as he tried to lift his head to speak, he was pressed down by the person beside him.

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong pulled Li Xuewu aside to brief him on the latest situation.

"All the members of the Zhong family have been caught, and they have confessed to the fact of killing several people. According to your requirements, the families of all the criminals have also been taken in for investigation."

"Mm."

Li Xuewu nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Proceed with the interrogation according to normal procedures, but increase the pressure on the families. Notify the relevant unit leaders and connections. As long as the relevant personnel resist stubbornly, hint that they will also be subject to financial audits and retroactive investigations."

"This..."

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong hesitated and said, "Our manpower is limited. If we do this, the workload..."

Li Xuewu glanced sideways at Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong and said, "No need to pursue everyone. As long as the first 'chicken' appears, execute it resolutely. The remaining 'monkeys' will know what to do."

"You really are..."

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong twitched the corner of his mouth. Are all those who play mind games this dirty?

Don't rush to interrogate these parties; instead, make an issue out of their families to force them to take the initiative to admit their mistakes.

This is a major case. As long as one person spills, the subsequent interrogation work will be like watching crabs in a bucket.

The characteristic is that none of them can get away; there's always someone dragging their feet.

You want to confess first to push the responsibility onto others, right? Fine, then let's have everyone spill everything.

This is a test of endurance. Once someone starts talking, the others will only regret not talking sooner.

Li Xuewu had no interest in the interrogation and the capture of the fish that slipped through the net.

Li Xuewu had even less interest in hogging the limelight for the roundup on Xiang Yunnian's side, coming out in front of so many people and saying, "From the Discipline Inspection Commission, come with us."

Li Xuewu only felt that every gaze directed at him carried suspicion and resentment; it wasn't worth putting an executive cadre like himself on the fire.

"I'll go back to rest in a while."

Li Xuewu instructed Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong, "Focus on interrogating Guandong for me. This old bastard is like a damn rat; he has other paths—Feng City, going out to sea—he must have stored plenty of food."

Thinking of those boxes of valuables, Li Xuewu couldn't help but urge, "In any case, we can't come back empty-handed this time."

"Leaving already?"

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong was stunned, then nodded. The most critical figures had been caught, especially Guandong; Li Xuewu had already done enough.

Yes, he had done everything he could, and it was time to enjoy the treatment of a leader. He couldn't always be stuck on the front line; otherwise, he would have been a leader for nothing.

On the way back, only Han Jiankun and Li Xuewu were in the car; everyone else had gone to get busy.

Squinting his eyes at the morning in Steel City, heavy industrial cities were always more pure.

The army of bicycles on the road looked more substantial than in other cities; this might stem from the temperament of the workers.

"Regret it or not?"

"Leader?"

Han Jiankun was driving and was somewhat surprised to suddenly hear Li Xuewu's question.

There were only the two of them in the car. He was someone who didn't like to talk; if he didn't talk, Li Xuewu wouldn't talk either.

Both had been silent for a long time, but Li Xuewu's sudden question almost made him think Sha Qizhi was sitting in the passenger seat.

"Heh, I'm asking if you regret not taking those twenty thousand yuan on the train just now."

Li Xuewu's spirits were still good; he had changed back into his own clothes and was preparing to go back for breakfast before resting.

Han Jiankun shook his head while driving.

Li Xuewu was quite impressed by this kid's silence; he could go a whole day without opening his mouth—a quiet person.

However, he wanted to chat right now; otherwise, he was afraid he would lie down on the ground and fall asleep as soon as he got out of the car.

"Why?"

Li Xuewu asked, making conversation, "That was twenty thousand yuan; enough for you to earn in a lifetime."

"You wouldn't want it, and he wouldn't give it."

Han Jiankun looked like he refused to waste words, and after saying this, he didn't speak again.

Li Xuewu smiled, nodded, and then looked out the window, saying, "Behind every seemingly advantageous thing, there are hidden conditions. Many cadres have fallen into traps just like this."

Han Jiankun wasn't a cadre, but he was very convinced by Li Xuewu's words.

The words of a Division Chief were always very philosophical.

Li Xuewu didn't know Han Jiankun held him in such high regard; he was just thinking aloud.

Sometimes he would say it to Sha Qizhi; this was the knowledge Sha Qizhi cared about most.

"When they give it to you, they say it very nicely: 'Let's be friends,' 'Let's be generous with money,' all sorts of reasons, it sounds so good."

Li Xuewu laughed softly for a while, then continued, "And them? Before you take it, they treat you like a roadblock; after you take it, once they've fed you, they treat you like a dog on a leash, to be driven at will."

Knowing Han Jiankun didn't like to talk, Li Xuewu didn't force him. Since there were no outsiders in the car, he just muttered a few words to himself.

Han Jiankun drove the car into the Steel Mill's courtyard and parked directly in the guesthouse parking lot.

When Li Xuewu got out of the car, Han Jiankun said very seriously to him, "After we go back, I will tell Secretary Sha these words of yours."

"..."

Li Xuewu was stunned by this kid, then laughed between tears and laughter, pointed at him, and said, "I discovered that it's not that you can't joke, but that you have a special sense of humor."

Li Xuewu walked toward the lobby while turning his head to emphasize to Han Jiankun, "Deadpan humor!"

Han Jiankun, following behind Li Xuewu, was also stunned; he didn't quite understand what the Division Chief meant by that.

What the hell is deadpan humor?

"Division Chief Li, you're back."

Seeing Li Xuewu return with his driver, Wang Shumin seemed to have been waiting in the lobby for a long time. She greeted him as soon as she came up, as if her relationship with Li Xuewu had become much better after last night's events.

Li Xuewu didn't care about her attitude; it seemed some people really were the type who wouldn't shed tears until they saw the coffin.

With Wang Shumin leading the way, Li Xuewu and Han Jiankun had breakfast in the cafeteria and then went upstairs to rest.

Because Tuo Ruifen was still there, Li Xuewu let Wang Shumin help arrange another room.

Working around the clock for a day and a night, no one could take it. Li Xuewu washed up hurriedly and then rested.

He slept almost until dark. It was only because Dong Wenxue was afraid he would hurt his body by sleeping too much that he had Han Jiankun wake him up, and only then did he get up for dinner.

The first floor of the guesthouse had become like a vegetable market. Many cadres from the Investigation Department and the Discipline Inspection Commission, wearing white shirts and gray collars and having worked continuously, were smoking at the entrance.

And more importantly, the isolation areas on both sides couldn't hold them all; the unimportant suspects were handcuffed in pairs and squatting on the ground.

The accommodation area at the other end of the first floor had also been requisitioned. Many case handlers were coming in and out, and the documents in their hands were not thin, clearly indicating that some people were "deeply sinful."

In the lobby, besides the security guards on duty, no special agents were seen. It was only when Wang Shumin saw Li Xuewu come downstairs that she explained, "Division Chief Li, meals have been arranged in the cafeteria, and everyone is eating in batches."

"Oh, is that so?"

Li Xuewu nodded in response, then looked at the people squatting on the ground in the lobby, and then at the case handlers at the entrance whose eyes were as red as rabbits'.

Some people in the rest area were looking over here, but not knowing Li Xuewu's identity, they were still inquiring.

And there were still many people standing in the courtyard, craning their necks waiting for news—perhaps family members or other related personnel.

Li Xuewu just took a few glances, didn't care much, and followed Wang Shumin's guidance toward the cafeteria behind the building.

"Do you have a service department here?"

"Yes."

Seeing Li Xuewu ask, Wang Shumin helped lift the door curtain and asked, "Division Chief Li, do you need to buy something?"

"Cigarettes, cigarettes."

Li Xuewu took out his own cigarette to gesture and asked, "Do you have cigarettes for sale here?"

"Yes."

Hearing Li Xuewu wanted to buy cigarettes, Wang Shumin felt relieved.

The Steel Mill's service department also followed the example of the Rolling Mill; the whole factory was on one line—if the top had it, the bottom could have it.

However, the service categories in the service department here were relatively simple, just a few special types. If others were needed, one had to go to the supply and marketing cooperative.

And at this time, if Li Xuewu needed something, the errand runner could only be them, the service staff.

"How many packs do you need? I'll go buy them for you."

"No, not a few packs."

Li Xuewu waved his hand, gestured to Han Jiankun behind him, and said, "Tell him the location, and let him go."

After saying that, he instructed Han Jiankun, "Go to the service department, pick two-mao ones, move a box, and distribute them to those case handlers. Remember to get good receipts, and when you come back, report the accounts to the Investigation Department's general affairs, directly counting it as part of this case's expenses."

"Yes."

Han Jiankun responded very crisply. Seeing Li Xuewu walk inside, he looked at Wang Shumin, waiting for her to introduce the direction.

Wang Shumin had just reacted; it turned out Li Xuewu didn't want to buy cigarettes for himself.

Giving them to case handlers, and buying them by the box at over two mao each—this style and courage were truly extraordinary.

Although it was coming out of the expenses, this kind of leader couldn't help but make Wang Shumin think of more.

Compared to a purely artistic leader like Dong Wenxue, Li Xuewu seemed more direct and approachable.

Thinking about Li Xuewu's way of doing things, Wang Shumin very politely pointed out the direction of the factory's service department to Han Jiankun.

The cafeteria of the guesthouse was built behind the main building and wasn't too big. When Li Xuewu arrived, he saw it was still full.

The special agents Li Xuewu brought numbered over forty, plus Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong and Xiang Yunnian's men; the seats here couldn't supply so many people eating at the same time.

However, Li Xuewu's seat had been reserved, and Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong and Xiang Yunnian were already at the table.

"Slept like a log, didn't you?"

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong curled his lip with some jealousy and said enviously, "When I went upstairs, I could damn well hear you snoring."

"If your ears are that good, why don't you use them for the right things?"

Li Xuewu wouldn't indulge him. While picking up his chopsticks, he thanked Xiang Yunnian for the bowl he handed over.

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong glared at Li Xuewu with dissatisfaction and asked, "You damn well won't remember this for a lifetime, will you?"

"Mm~~ no."

Li Xuewu tasted a mouthful of cabbage soup; besides being a bit salty, it had no other damn taste.

This stuff was for eating with steamed buns, so it was made very salty, with tofu and other auxiliary ingredients inside.

Just when Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong thought Li Xuewu had woken up and was showing kindness and wouldn't mock him, Li Xuewu bared his teeth and said, "I'll mock you for a year at most."

"You damn...!"

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong bit hard into a steamed bun, as if he were tearing at Li Xuewu.

Xiang Yunnian watched and was happy, but he also envied the close relationship between the two.

"Division Chief Li."

Seeing Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong acting like a fighting cock and not speaking, Xiang Yunnian took the opportunity to ask his own doubts.

"Hearing that you caught the person on the train, the big stone in my heart finally fell to the ground. But there is one thing I don't understand, and I want to ask you: how did you know the target was on that train?"

"Heh."

Li Xuewu heard this, winked at Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong, and asked with a smile, "Don't you want to know?"

"Pfft~ putting on airs."

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong curled his lip with disdain, his mouth very hard, but his ears were very realistic, watching as he pricked them up waiting for Li Xuewu to talk.

And Li Xuewu, biting his steamed bun and drinking soup, whispered to Xiang Yunnian, "Let's find a place without Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong in a while to talk."

"I damn well don't care to listen!"

"Hahahaha~"

Xiang Yunnian was also amused by the two of them. He was older than both, and looking at them was like looking at younger brothers.

In their line of work, there were rarely times for smiling faces; after all, work required it.

And there weren't many friends, mostly within the system, and one had to know how to avoid suspicion.

This resulted in Xiang Yunnian's somewhat isolated personality, and he also envied the lifestyle of having two or three close friends.

He knew the friendship between Li Xuewu and Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong; that case wasn't a secret to them.

Before contacting Li Xuewu, he had investigated Li Xuewu's information, and Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong's figure appeared in it, so he understood it as well.

It could be said that both were outstanding figures in their respective units; calling them elites was no exaggeration.

Their abilities were very prominent, and they had great drive and courage.

He didn't know about Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong, but he was very clear about Li Xuewu—his background was very ordinary, but his character was very extraordinary.

At twenty years old, he was at the deputy division level, yet there wasn't a single stain on him.

Especially his caution in work, which was like that of an old bureaucrat who had worked for decades.

Yet with such a steady work style, in reality, Li Xuewu was a person with extensive social connections and good communication skills.

This contradictory personality made Xiang Yunnian very interested; he didn't want to learn from him, just wanted to make a friend.

Li Xuewu could also see Xiang Yunnian's intention, so he gave enough face to this Beijing Discipline Inspection Commission official in the action plan.

After all, his influence in the Discipline Inspection Commission was also very prominent.

Don't think that elites like Li Xuewu are many; if there were many, they wouldn't be called elites.

The nature of his work determined that his level could break through, while Xiang Yunnian couldn't; he had to take it one step at a time, steadily, relying on achievements and even more on seniority.

So Li Xuewu respected him very much, communicating with Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong many times to try his best to cooperate with his work.

He saw all of this, otherwise, he wouldn't have taken the initiative to befriend Li Xuewu.

What is making friends? What is social ability?

If you want many friends, you must express your sincerity and confidence.

Confidence represents your ability, making people feel that you are someone capable of handling things, not impulsive, mature, and brave.

And sincerity means you must make people feel that what you can provide, whether material or otherwise, is useful to them, mutually attractive, and mutually respectful.

Now Li Xuewu and Xiang Yunnian both felt they could help each other and avoid making mistakes well, so they began to recognize each other.

As for Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong, Li Xuewu had long been familiar with him; there was no contradiction in their bickering.

After joking for a while, Li Xuewu took the initiative to introduce his experience at the platform.

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong and Xiang Yunnian listened very carefully. Although this wasn't a typical case, it was an inspiration for their work.

"So,"

Xiang Yunnian asked with some surprise, "you judged his purpose just from the fact that Guan Haishan kept looking toward the direction the train came from when he made eye contact with you, instead of looking at the rising sun?"

"Isn't that enough? Sometimes a person's eyes will tell secrets."

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Who dares to say they will be 100% successful in handling cases and pursuing suspects? But if you can judge clues, you must go all out."

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong curled his lip and explained to Xiang Yunnian, "Last time we handled a case together, he grabbed a clue and had his men fish for a corpse in Kunming Lake all night—that was in winter."

Xiang Yunnian nodded thoughtfully, thinking about Li Xuewu's words, and signaled Li Xuewu to continue.

Li Xuewu shrugged his shoulders and said, "Actually, it looks very mysterious, but once said, it's nothing mysterious."

He counted on his fingers and repeated the train schedule he had seen from the person in charge of the Investigation Department.

"The first train was after five o'clock. I didn't believe the target could be on the first train. Even if he had this time, one could see from his 'cunning rabbit has three burrows' trick that he was very cautious."

Li Xuewu explained very seriously to the two, "Then on this platform, the third train was at 9:30 in the morning. If Guan Haishan hadn't left by 8:00—the time I clearly told him we would close the net—then his suspicion would only grow, and it wouldn't be something that could be explained away by a child acting shamelessly."

"So,"

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong squinted his eyes, stopped eating the steamed bun in his hand, looked at Li Xuewu, and said, "He left the waiting room and got on the platform, actually exposing his purpose, right?"

"Maybe."

Li Xuewu pursed his lips and said, "What his psychological activity was at the time, I didn't have time to explore either. After all, he was only a year younger than me."

"Hehehehe~"

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong laughed a few times upon hearing this and said to Li Xuewu, "When we interrogated him, he even asked me if it was because he spoke ill of you that you kicked him."

Li Xuewu knew Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong would ask this clearly. Seeing that he knew he had lied to him—that the kid hadn't spoken ill of him—he was as happy as if he had eaten honey.

"Interrogate him well."

Li Xuewu rolled his eyes at Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong, then lowered his head to eat while saying, "This kid is slippery."

"No one can lie under my hands."

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong was very confident in this point, repeatedly assuring Li Xuewu that his interrogation was no problem.

Li Xuewu couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him, pushed the finished rice bowl aside, and seeing Han Jiankun return, just nodded.

He took out cigarettes to distribute to the two, and taking advantage of this topic, asked about the progress of the interrogation.

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong looked at Xiang Yunnian, tapped the cigarette Li Xuewu gave him on the table, and introduced, "My progress is smooth. Seeing the people above them caught, they also know they don't have an umbrella to protect them anymore."

Li Xuewu took a puff of his cigarette and signaled, "Tell me about the key ones—the motorcade, the fleet, the warehouse, etc. How many can be confirmed?"

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong understood the key Li Xuewu was asking about and didn't hide it from Xiang Yunnian, saying directly, "The motorcade belongs to the food factory; we can only pursue the relevant responsible persons. The fleet, however, has some discrepancies."

As he spoke, he used that cigarette to gesture on the table and explained, "According to the asset acquisition plan, those ships were completely unnecessary. Although train transport isn't that convenient yet, there's no need for twenty-something thousand-ton cargo ships."

"A thousand tons?"

Li Xuewu's smoking motion paused, and he looked suspiciously at Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong and asked, "Can the Liao River handle thousand-ton cargo ships?"

"So there are things you don't know, huh."

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong raised his eyebrows and said, "Actually, I didn't believe it when I first heard it, but the person in charge introduced that this river transport is still a major artery for cargo transport, and there are dredging projects every year."

Xiang Yunnian nodded and echoed, "From what we understand, three-hundred-ton ones are very common on this river. This batch of ships is indeed special, but not eye-catching."

Li Xuewu nodded and signaled Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong to continue.

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong explained, "The production scale of the food factory isn't actually large, but the scale of its trade is indeed not small. You understand the mystery inside, so I won't say it. Just talking about these ships..."

"These ships!"

Li Xuewu looked at Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong and said, "Since they are so abnormal, I think they need to be confiscated."

"Confiscated?"

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong raised his eyebrows and whispered, "The procedures aren't complicated, but you have to consider the connections inside. And do you know how to sail a ship, or do I?"

Li Xuewu squinted his eyes and said, "The motorcade is a legitimate motorcade, but the drivers aren't legitimate, and the management above isn't legitimate, so punish the illegitimate ones. But these ships, I think none of them are very legitimate."

After saying that, he tapped the table and said, "I think the Steel Mill needs to open up channels for material and supply transport, so leasing them to them is quite appropriate."

"Hiss~~~"

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong sucked in a cold breath. This damn... how did he come up with this?

"Left hand to right hand, actually it still hasn't left Steel City, right? Illegitimate things given to legitimate uses, reasonable allocation, right? Then what about the people?"

"What do you think?"

Li Xuewu looked very seriously at Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong and said, "Who else would you want to sell these old cargo ships that have been used for many years and are on the verge of being scrapped to?"

"How could it be..."

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong was about to get anxious. These were damn brand-new ships; every time Guandong exchanged them with the other side, the other side was also maintaining them.

Now, in Li Xuewu's mouth, they had become old, broken ships!

"Right."

Li Xuewu said very calmly, "I think just sell them to the scrap recycling station; sell them as scrap iron. As for whether the recycling station rents them out or cooperates with the Steel Mill, that's their business, right?"

"Scrap recycling station...?"

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong suddenly thought of something, hung his eyes, looked at Li Xuewu, and said, "Jiaodaokou doesn't have a wharf, and Houhai can't accommodate such ships."

Li Xuewu rolled his eyes, tapped the cigarette ash in the rice bowl, and said, "Who told you it was the Jiaodaokou scrap recycling station in Beijing? Is it possible that there is only one Jiaodaokou scrap recycling station in the world?"

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong looked suspiciously at Li Xuewu, leaned forward, and asked, "That's not right, why do I feel the scrap recycling station you're talking about is the one I'm talking about?"

"Bullshit!"

Li Xuewu looked like "don't judge a gentleman's heart with a villain's measure," pointed at the table, and said, "Beijing can have a Jiaodaokou scrap recycling station, so why can't Steel City have a Jiaodaokou recycling station?"

After saying this, he spread his hands and said, "It makes no sense, right!"

"Fart!"

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong glared at Li Xuewu and said, "Steel City doesn't even have a damn Jiaodaokou!"

Li Xuewu tilted his head and said, "But there can be a 'Beijing Scrap Company Jiaodaokou Nanluoguxiang (Supply and Marketing Cooperative) Three-Party Acquisition Agreement Special Related Scrap Recycling, Secondary Sales Station Resident Steel City Office'."

"Grass!!!"