Chapter 659: Two Women

Huang Gan squinted at Wei Qing and said: "Who is this? Isn't this a defeated opponent!"

"Don't be arrogant either!"

Wei Qing signaled toward Li Li Xuewu and said: "Just wait. His strength can beat you silly."

"Tsk~"

Huang Gan snorted disdainfully, then looked at Li Li Xuewu and asked: "What are you betting?"

Li Li Xuewu tapped Huang Gan. He really had to teach this grandson a lesson; he was almost looking at people with his nostrils.

"A carton of Huazi, plus a meal. You pick the place."

"Alright, generous enough!"

Huang Gan smiled and took the table tennis ball to serve, but Li Li Xuewu didn't agree.

"Hey! Haven't finished yet. What about you?"

Li Li Xuewu tapped the table tennis table lightly with the racket in his hand and signaled Huang Gan: "I've placed my bet, so you have to say what you're betting too?"

"You're the one who's a grandson!"

Huang Gan wasn't stupid. He heard the malice in Li Li Xuewu's words, retorted with his head tilted, and then signaled to a pile of things on a chair on the side: "See that? The spoils of the afternoon. If you win, they're all yours."

"Damn! Is it worth a carton of Huazi plus a meal?"

Li Li Xuewu looked at it suspiciously. The pile was quite large, but it was all messy stuff.

"There's a Parker gold pen I got from my brother and me there."

Huang Gan raised his eyebrows and deliberately teased Li Li Xuewu: "The lighter I won from you last time is also in there."

"Then I have to fight!"

Li Li Xuewu signaled to Huang Gan: "If I win, that pile of things is mine, and what they owe you is included too!"

"You're really long-winded, as if you could win."

Huang Gan signaled the table tennis ball in his hand to Li Li Xuewu and said: "Let you see the power of a table tennis champion."

After finishing, he threw the small ball up and hit it with a backhand. This ball was fast and tricky, heading straight to Li Li Xuewu's left hand.

Li Li Xuewu saw it and wanted to switch hands to pull it, but seeing the baring teeth and grimacing expression on Huang Gan's face, he really couldn't help it.

"Yo ho~~~"

Seeing that Li Li Xuewu didn't even touch the ball, Huang Gan became even more arrogant. He pursed his lips, shook his head, and said: "Alright, for the sake of our brotherhood, I won't count it if you get down now."

"Hehe."

Li Li Xuewu bent down to pick up the ball, threw it over casually, and said: "Don't do that. Everyone is watching. It goes against your standard of conduct, Old Man Huang. Continue."

"This is what you said!"

Seeing that Li Li Xuewu had no intention of backing down, Huang Gan raised his eyebrows and said: "Then I'll accept the Huazi, but forget the meal."

"Stop talking nonsense, serve the ball."

Li Li Xuewu turned the racket in his hand, gripped it naturally, bowed his body slightly, and stared at Huang Gan serving the ball.

Huang Gan twitched his mouth and said: "Still pretending to be something. Here it comes!"

"Ping."

"Pong."

"You can still admit defeat now."

Huang Gan's eyes were already moved to the top of his head; there was no one in his eyes anymore.

"You've already lost five games. If I shave your head, you won't have any face left when you walk out this gate."

"You're really long-winded."

Li Li Xuewu signaled the circle of people watching and said: "Are you this long-winded when you play with them?"

Wei Qing also saw that Li Li Xuewu was about to lose, but he didn't lose his stance. He was still cheering for Li Li Xuewu at this moment.

"His mouth is too broken. The game I lost was mostly lost to his broken mouth!"

"If you're not convinced, you come next game."

Huang Gan looked at Wei Qing with his eyelids drooping and said: "Just a defeated opponent."

"Damn!"

Wei Qing stood up and signaled to Li Li Xuewu: "Li Xuewu, you can catch his ball these two games. Play steadily, and if you win, I'll treat you to a meal!"

"Noisy~"

Huang Gan pursed his lips, threw the ball in his hand lightly, and used a backhand ball again, the same as the first one, wanting to finish Li Li Xuewu in one shot.

This time Li Li Xuewu didn't indulge him. The racket in his hand didn't move, but his body did.

Li Li Xuewu's body moved quickly to the side, raised his hand, and hit it. He caught the ball steadily and hit a spin, passing by the corner of Huang Gan's table.

Huang Gan didn't expect Li Li Xuewu to miss the first ball but catch this one.

By the time he went to catch the ball, it was already too late. His body was out of shape, and he still didn't catch it.

"Damn! Really awesome!"

"Good job!"

"This ball is really not bad."

After Li Li Xuewu hit this ball, the indignant audience around applauded, as if Li Li Xuewu had hit the winning ball.

Those who didn't know would have thought Li Li Xuewu was leading 5-0.

I don't know if Huang Gan was too hateful, but there hadn't been anyone cheering for him in the stadium for a long time.

But now they were all applauding Li Li Xuewu and praising this ball, which made Huang Gan pout.

"What are you shouting about! So what if you won?"

After finishing, he threw the ball in his hand to Li Li Xuewu.

Seeing Huang Gan's appearance, everyone laughed and started arguing, saying that the river flows east for thirty years and west for thirty years.

Some also said that although Li Li Xuewu lost this ball, it was glorious in defeat. Anyway, as long as Li Li Xuewu won this ball, it counted as a win in their hearts.

Because Huang Gan was indeed awesome, and no one in this courtyard could beat him.

It was also because Huang Gan had played this since he was a child, and because he was bored to death in the prison, he spent all day playing with people in the prison.

Later, he got bored and picked a prisoner in the prison to play with.

That prisoner was an expert and, in order to curry favor with him, often gave him special treatment.

So he had today's contempt for the world and sweeping the club.

Of course, Li Li Xuewu's ball also gave him a fright; Li Li Xuewu's reaction was too fast.

It wasn't that he hit it fast, but his reaction was fast. As soon as the ball had a line, he was there.

People on the side couldn't see clearly, but he, standing opposite the opponent, could see clearly.

Conversely, the ball Li Li Xuewu hit had too much power, and the speed was too fast; he couldn't catch it at all.

He had never heard that Li Li Xuewu could play table tennis. Looking at the previous games he played, it didn't look like he was deliberately playing with him. Could it be that he learned it on the spot?

This was a bit scary!

Huang Gan threw the ball to Li Li Xuewu and waited intently on his side. He didn't want to capsize in the gutter; he could only tolerate Li Li Xuewu getting 6-1.

"Ping."

"Pong."

No, 6-2 at most!

"Ping."

"Pong."

Alright, let him have two games; 6-3 at most!

Three games, I have to be serious; 6-4 at most!

"Damn! Damn! 5-5!"

Wei Qing widened his eyes, looked at Li Li Xuewu, and shouted in disbelief: "Are you doing this on purpose! Ah! Five games in a row! Damn!"

Li Li Xuewu glanced at Wei Qing, didn't pay attention to him, and continued to wait for Huang Gan to throw the ball over.

Wei Qing also saw Li Li Xuewu's gaze, felt embarrassed, and sat back down, his gaze involuntarily looking at the pile of things on the chair.

That pile of things wasn't anything good. Besides some cigarettes and alcohol, the most were sports shirts.

Huang Gan was sweating from the game. He bent down to pick up the small ball on the ground, squeezed it hard in his hand, and then threw it toward Li Li Xuewu.

Having lost five games in a row, Huang Gan's spirit was gone, and his eyes were moved back from the top of his head, even lower.

It was the last game, and Huang Gan had to be ready for battle. If he won this game, the five games he lost wouldn't count for much.

But if he lost, his previous arrogance would become a joke.

Li Li Xuewu didn't care much, but the people who had been beaten miserably by him would definitely mock him to death. The key was that he had done it too absolutely.

"Here it comes!"

Huang Gan signaled to Li Li Xuewu, and then threw the ball high.

Not only Huang Gan, but everyone watching was staring at the round little ball, looking forward to Li Li Xuewu hitting the winning ball.

Li Li Xuewu's eyes were very casual; he wasn't staring at the ball, but when the ball fell in front of him, he suddenly exerted force, the racket in his hand tilted forward, and quickly brushed the bottom edge of the table tennis ball.

As seen, the table tennis ball changed its flight direction, the speed wasn't fast, and it headed toward the net.

Seeing the ball's speed wasn't fast, Huang Gan relaxed a bit, certain he could definitely catch this ball.

"Got it!"

He shouted himself, and seeing the ball knock on the table, he wanted to catch it.

But at this moment, a strange thing happened. The ball just knocked once, and then it spun and bounced back.

"Damn! Spin ball!"

People standing on the side had already discovered the secret of this ball and shouted directly.

Everyone reacted and started talking about this ball.

Li Li Xuewu didn't care much, put the racket in his hand on the table, shrugged at the dumbfounded Huang Gan, and said: "Sorry, slightly better by one ball."

Huang Gan still couldn't believe he had lost this ball, and so strangely.

Just now he had clearly reached out his racket, but he just couldn't catch the ball.

Unwillingly, he touched his chin, Huang Gan sighed, and said: "You won."

"Oh! Oh~~~"

Huang Gan lost, and Li Li Xuewu won. The happiest ones weren't Li Li Xuewu, but the people who had just lost.

And the one who felt regret along with Huang Gan was Wei Qing.

At this moment, Wei Qing helplessly hugged the things on the chair and threw them onto the table tennis table.

"Failed at the last step, only one line away."

Wei Qing spread his hands and sighed with Huang Gan.

Seeing him act like this, the people around didn't agree and pointed at Wei Qing, scolding: "So you were in cahoots with Huang Gan!"

"You're just fishing!"

Some realized it and pointed at Huang Gan: "He's responsible for playing, and Wei Qing is responsible for fanning the flames. The two of them are acting, just to fish for our clothes!"

"Exactly!"

"Really a grandson!"

"Go go go!"

Huang Gan waved his hand indignantly, pointed at the people around him, and shouted: "You are all defeated opponents, you know! Defeated generals, how dare you speak of courage!"

"Exactly!"

Wei Qing also revealed his true colors at this moment, smiled wickedly at the few people, and said: "If it weren't for Li Li Xuewu, your clothes would have been hung on the wall of the stadium as our record!"

After finishing, he looked at Li Li Xuewu and asked: "How did you see that I was in cahoots with Huang Gan?"

Li Li Xuewu smiled and said: "Why don't you tell me what you were planning to do after winning everyone's clothes?"

"What for? Damn!"

At this moment, someone pointed at the two people over there and scolded with a smile: "These two grandsons are really damaging, bad to the bone!"

"Said they were going to hang our clothes on the stadium wall as their eternal record, to mock us for a lifetime."

"Also said they would accept our challenges at any time, and we'd have to hang another one if we lost, and only if we won could we take our own back."

"Sss~~"

Li Li Xuewu looked at the two bad guys who were full of regret with a smile and said: "You've caused public anger, you know! Still want to unite?"

"Does this affect unity too?"

Huang Gan said with a smile: "I just wanted to hang them up, not destroy anything."

Li Li Xuewu rolled his eyes, signaled the racket on the table to Wei Qing, and said: "You didn't even know if I could play, yet you directly gave me the racket and instigated me to compete with him."

After finishing, he signaled to Huang Gan: "When I was arguing with Huang Gan, you were adding weight on the side. You say this is what a good comrade should do?"

"I just said!"

Wei Qing pointed at Huang Gan and said: "This trick works on others, but for an old fox like Li Li Xuewu, you can't show a single flaw. Look at what happened now!"

"I didn't know your acting was so bad!"

After finishing, he found the fountain pen and lighter on the table and threw them toward Li Li Xuewu, saying: "Loser accepts the bet, they're yours."

Li Li Xuewu received them, looked at them, signaled the sports shirts on the table to the people watching the fun around him, and said: "What are you staring at! Everyone take your own clothes!"

"Oh!"

"Loyal!"

"Respectable!"

"Four seas!"

Everyone knew Li Li Xuewu wouldn't do the bad thing of hanging people's clothes, so they stepped forward one after another to take their clothes.

And those who lost beer tickets and cigarettes didn't go to take them, letting these things lie messily on the table.

At this time, there were only a few styles of sports clothes and sports vests sold in the store. Li Li Xuewu looked at the pile, and there were mostly Lao Meihua brand ones.

This thing looks like just a piece of fabric, but the price isn't cheap.

A foot of cloth is only four cents and two, and this vest shouldn't have used four feet of cloth.

Hey! This vest sells for five dollars and sixty cents in the supply and marketing cooperative. I don't know how they set the price.

However, cloth shoes aren't cheap either; a pair of cloth shoes for children is two dollars and seventy-five cents.

That is to say, families with old ladies who don't work and can do manual labor can save this money.

Otherwise, for a dual-income family raising a bunch of children, such consumption is indispensable.

Of course, sports vests and cloth shoes are two different things. You can do without a vest, but you can't do without cloth shoes; your feet will be uncomfortable.

And for those who come here to exercise, sports vests are as important as shoes.

Because everyone else is wearing them, and they are all deputy section chiefs or section chiefs, why can't they wear them?

Furthermore, if you wear this vest sparingly, not to mention three years, two years of good wear, maybe you can pass it on to the eldest son to wear.

That is to say, these people are all cadres; otherwise, Huang Gan wouldn't dare to make this joke. Ordinary people wouldn't dare to play on a table with a five-dollar bet.

Of course, it's precisely because they are all people who "don't lack money" that they dare to play this kind of game.

There might be those who lack money, but in this kind of occasion, who would be afraid? Even if they had to risk their heads, they would still play.

However, Li Li Xuewu found them a step down, and they had both face and substance, so everyone's enthusiasm was high.

"Thank you, Li Xuewu!"

"Thank you, Director Li!"

"Hahaha~"

Everyone laughed and ended their exercise, walking together to the changing room, preparing to take a bath and then change clothes to eat.

Li Li Xuewu and Huang Gan walked at the back, reached out, and sent the lighter and fountain pen Huang Gan had just given him back.

"What are you doing!"

Huang Gan stared and asked: "Are you looking down on me?"

After finishing, he took the fountain pen and lighter from Li Li Xuewu's hand, very afraid that Li Li Xuewu wouldn't give them back.

"Just this once, not next time."

"You're really something!"

Li Li Xuewu pursed his lips, beckoned to the waiter in the table tennis hall, signaled the beer tickets and cigarettes on the table, and said: "Send them to the service center; use them when there's entertainment."

After finishing, he followed Huang Gan and the others to the changing room, continuing on the way: "Where did you learn this trick? Aren't you afraid of getting beaten with a club when you go back tonight?"

"This is how you improve your skills!"

Huang Gan glanced at Li Li Xuewu and said: "Do you understand!"

"Hehe, you understand!"

Huhu Xianjin, who was walking in front, turned his head and pursed his lips: "You're so smart, why did you get handled by Li Li Xuewu?"

"I'm not talking to you now."

Huang Gan still had that arrogant demeanor, raised his head and said: "Because I don't discuss ball skills with defeated opponents."

"You're really looking for death!"

Huhu Xianjin didn't indulge him either, grabbed Huang Gan's hand, dragged him into the bathroom, and shouted to the people inside: "Those with grievances, report grievances; those with hatred, report hatred!"

"You defeated generals still dare to retaliate!"

Huang Gan struggled hard, but he was in a state of "being surrounded by men," so he could only shout at the top of his lungs: "Wei Qing, save me!"

Seeing everyone looking over, Wei Qing waved his hands repeatedly and said: "You guys play, have fun. I'm nearsighted and didn't bring my glasses."

Huang Gan: "..."

"Strip him, strip him!"

Seeing Wei Qing was "sensible," everyone started moving toward Huang Gan, saying they were going to pull down his pants and spank him.

Li Li Xuewu couldn't stand this passionate scene, so he quickly found a convenient faucet to rinse off his sweat.

This was the bathhouse Ding Ding Wanqiu had brought him to last time. It was originally their own bathhouse, prepared for those practicing martial arts.

Now it had been renovated to accommodate more people for washing and changing.

Li Li Xuewu changed into the clothes he came in and rinsed his sports clothes with water.

It was convenient; he didn't think about using soap, just squeezed them in his hands and walked out of the changing room.

Others went to the restaurant after washing, but Li Li Xuewu walked along the passage to the management office.

These clothes still had to be dried at Following Lou Jie's place, and these clothes were prepared for him by Following Lou Jie.

When he entered the room, Following Lou Jie was still busy. Seeing Li Li Xuewu enter, she raised her head and asked: "Did you wash the clothes with soap?"

"No, there's no soap in the changing room."

Li Li Xuewu picked up the hanger on the wall and was about to hang the clothes, but they were snatched away by Following Lou Jie, who walked over.

"Don't you know you must use soap to wash clothes that have been sweated in?"

Following Lou Jie scolded Li Li Xuewu, put the sports vest and shorts into the basin, and muttered: "If you don't wash off the sweat stains, there will be white marks even after drying. You're really sloppy."

Li Li Xuewu didn't mind, walked to Following Lou Jie's desk, and took a look, seeing she was busy with the account books.

"I'm a man; how would I know these things?"

"Hehe, are we women born to know how to do housework?"

Following Lou Jie glared at Li Li Xuewu, then signaled to the account book on the table and asked: "Is it okay? I found someone to do it, an old accountant."

"Your family's connection?"

Li Li Xuewu just took a casual look and didn't care much. As long as it passed through Following Lou Jie's hands, there wouldn't be any problems with this account book.

Because as long as it reached her, she had probably calculated these accounts countless times.

"Yes, the old accountant from the family, bringing a few apprentices."

Following Lou Jie was also nimble. She supported the washed clothes with a hanger and hung them directly on the small rack in the room.

"I asked my father for the people. These are old craftsmen; they manage the accounts but not the money, an independent accounting room, not asking about business."

While talking, she took the towel from the washbasin rack, wiped her hands, walked over, signaled the code on the account, and said: "There are no specific project names on this; they are all marked with codes, and the accounting room isn't here."

"Okay, you handle it."

Li Li Xuewu nodded, expressing his approval of Following Lou Jie's work.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu say this, Following Lou Jie scolded: "I'm talking to you, and you still want to be a hands-off boss?"

"You'd better think it through."

Following Lou Jie flipped through the account book casually, but said: "If I leave, these accounts will always need someone to manage them. The accounting room can't be handed over to my father. You have to find an independent position for these people."

Li Li Xuewu looked at Following Lou Jie and knew this was a complaint that he was heartless, letting her go out and venture alone.

And mentioning the handover of the account book now was also to make it clear that she was her, and her father was her father, letting Li Li Xuewu think it through and feel at ease.

This was a matter of money. If it were managed by her father, who was both the referee and the athlete, how could it be safe?

Who was Li Li Xuewu?

A living bandit. If his father committed a crime because of money, even his face wouldn't be enough to save him.

One is money, one is life.

Following Lou Jie didn't have much education, but she understood the truth and knew what kind of temper Li Li Xuewu had.

Since she had managed the accounts for him and walked to the front, she knew that her relationship with Li Li Xuewu was about to enter a complex stage.

If she wanted to walk with Li Li Xuewu properly, she must not have problems in this regard.

If she could, Following Lou Jie really didn't want to leave, didn't want to walk to the front, even if she only saw Li Li Xuewu once a month, it would be better than not seeing him for a year.

But who let her family have this ability? Who let her be a businessman's daughter?

What Following Lou Jie didn't dare to think about now was whether Li Li Xuewu was with her because of a momentary impulse or if it was premeditated.

Why did he go to the back courtyard to see her that day? Why did he make her dough soup? Why did he help her...

The devil is in the details. She couldn't think about it, and she didn't dare to think about it. She was really afraid that if she saw through it, life would truly have no fun.

Just looking at Li Li Xuewu's calculation now, Following Lou Jie didn't dare to let her father stand against Li Li Xuewu.

Especially regarding money, she knew businessmen were naturally sensitive to gold, silver, and wealth.

But she knew even better that Li Li Xuewu was sensitive to relationships and betrayal. Giving her his trust was also pointing his gun at her.

Don't look at the fact that they are in this kind of relationship now; Following Lou Jie knew that if her family dared to move a cent of this money, her father would be finished.

Li Li Xuewu wasn't bad, but he wasn't a good person either; public is public, private is private.

In private matters, Following Lou Jie dared to be sure that as long as it was something Li Li Xuewu could do, if she asked Li Li Xuewu, Li Li Xuewu would definitely be able to help her do it.

It was the same in public affairs. If it couldn't be done, and she did it, Li Li Xuewu wouldn't give her any face.

Just look at how he climbed up step by step. A merciful person doesn't command soldiers, and a righteous person doesn't manage wealth. Li Li Xuewu was someone who held a gun, and even more, someone who had gold.

Guided by Li Li Xuewu, walking to today step by step, Following Lou Jie didn't regret it.

If she didn't have these, she probably wouldn't have been able to stay with Li Li Xuewu

Given her family background, her father and mother would also want her to remarry.

And since Li Li Xuewu is married, he must also prioritize his family; looking at it now, they used to have at least one meeting a week, but now he doesn't dare to think about it.

As the two of them walk forward step by step, the inevitable result is that they will slowly drift apart.

Unless there is an existence of mutual interests.

Isn't marriage just a relationship of interests?

Marriage is inherently a form of investment and a way of managing finances; it's just more humanized, mixed with other purposes.

She currently has uses for Li Li Xuewu, and she also has requests of Li Li Xuewu; in this state of relationship, Following Lou Jie actually feels much safer.

It seems that the reason Yu Li is so concerned about Li Li Xuewu's attitude is precisely because she lacks a sense of security.

The reason is that once Yu Li leaves Li Li Xuewu, she has no value to Li Li Xuewu, and therefore has no reason to be given anything.

Reality is cruel, and relationships between adults are also very cruel.

This is still between lovers; what if it were friends?

It's even more obvious!

If either party becomes successful or makes progress, the friendship between them inevitably becomes a challenge.

Unless the wealth gap is small, or the fields they are in are vastly different, allowing them to still get along easily, otherwise, friends will also become strangers.

The most familiar strangers...

Li Li Xuewu has plans and preparations for Following Lou Jie's departure; in the process of creating an enterprise or organization, there must be a period of power centralization to facilitate command and creation.

This model has many advantages and many disadvantages, such as incomplete mechanisms, which easily lead to management loopholes.

In management theory, administration and finance cannot be together, which is why there is the position of Chief Financial Officer.

And in later generations, in order to make enterprises and organizations more modular and standardized, more power is subdivided, leading to CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CTOs, and so on.

Li Li Xuewu is systematically carrying out this modular management construction.

When it comes to administrative management, there is a group of people including Father Lou who can be picked out to take charge.

Including those descendants of families that have been in business for generations, Li Li Xuewu dares to use them, because their family's money is in Li Li Xuewu's hands, and will be in the future as well.

First let these people endure some of the hardships of the era, then fish them out to work; who wouldn't be grateful?

If they did something to wrong Li Li Xuewu, wouldn't they have to endure moral condemnation?

Furthermore, there is financial management; for this part, Li Li Xuewu had Following Lou Jie manage the accounts in the early stages according to formal procedures, and the financial management team currently being built is also developing formally.

Li Li Xuewu has thought about arranging for financial management personnel to take charge of this team, but the specific personnel are still being decided.

Where there is finance, there will be auditing; Li Li Xuewu doesn't need to worry about auditing issues these years, after all, no one dares to joke with their own life.

But the relevant financial and management systems need to be slowly perfected.

Li Li Xuewu has already found a good office location for these accountants; it is safe, enclosed, and can constantly remind them not to reach for what isn't theirs.

After all, the end of an accountant is a detention center; entering sooner or later is still entering, and the detention center has been put to good use by Li Li Xuewu.

Of course, Li Li Xuewu cannot tell Following Lou Jie today where these accountants will be placed, nor can he say who will manage the finances in the future; wouldn't that make Following Lou Jie sad?

Anyone would have feelings for their own work, and the person taking over from them is also the person taking over those feelings.

According to stereotypes, Following Lou Jie wouldn't be satisfied with anyone, so why bother causing her trouble.

"Find an office here for the time being to make arrangements."

Li Li Xuewu thought for a moment and added: "Help me keep an eye on the financial side; I haven't decided on the specific person in charge yet, we'll talk about it later."

After saying this to Following Lou Jie, he gestured toward the restaurant and said: "Mention it later, set up a service department with the restaurant to sell some cigarettes and alcohol, handle it yourself."

"Where are you going?"

Seeing that Li Li Xuewu looked like he was about to leave after saying a few words, Following Lou Jie chided: "I don't see you for weeks at a time, and you're leaving before your butt even touches the chair?"

"What, you want to detain me?"

Li Li Xuewu looked at Following Lou Jie with amusement, then pointed toward the restaurant and said: "Going over to eat, what else?"

"I want to eat you~"

Following Lou Jie squinted her eyes and stepped forward, about to make a move. Li Li Xuewu laughed and blocked her, pointing outside the window: "It's broad daylight, what are you doing!"

"Don't force me to fight back!"

"Heroine, please show some restraint!"

"Following Lou Jie, don't be like this!"

Li Li Xuewu is increasingly fond of this office atmosphere, tense and exciting, and the important thing is the person.

Because of Following Lou Jie's delay, by the time Li Li Xuewu arrived at the restaurant, the place had already been bustling, and everyone was chatting among themselves.

Someone called Li Li Xuewu over, and Li Li Xuewu responded with a smile, walking over to chat with them.

The gatherings in the club have gradually developed into fixed forums where everyone exchanges information and helps each other.

After a few weeks, everyone has gradually adapted to and become accustomed to this relaxed atmosphere.

Some things are inconvenient to communicate with people in one's own unit, but here, finding a few close friends to discuss them is ultimately more convenient than thinking about things by oneself.

Of course, speaking about things here is not without reservations; everyone has their own bottom line and scope, and Li Li Xuewu just listens more and speaks less.

Speaking less is not because he has no ideas or suggestions, but because everyone present is an elite, some suggestions are common, and it is more appropriate for older comrades to bring them up.

Listening more is because everyone encounters similar things at work; if one person has a solution, then others have ideas for solving the problem.

Just as everyone was chatting and discussing, they were suddenly attracted by the news on the radio at the bar.

In the restaurant, Following Lou Jie prepared many facilities for these members, making it convenient for them to relax and discuss matters here.

Besides the dining area in the middle, she also had Lao Lao Biaozi set up sofa seating around it, making it convenient for everyone to sit and chat.

And at the bar, she had Lao Lao Biaozi bring in a large radio, about the same size as the one in Li Li Xuewu's home.

On weekdays, everyone would also turn on the radio while eating to listen to the news.

After all, they are all section-level or deputy section-level cadres, and their attention to news is very high.

At this moment, everyone gradually quieted down and looked toward the radio at the bar.

"... in culture... what exactly have they done!"

Hearing this news, especially the Xiangnan accent on the broadcast, Li Li Xuewu was instantly stunned.

The three names in the headline of the speech just now made Li Li Xuewu's brow furrow instantly.

He didn't recognize the last two, but the first one was mentioned by his godfather at noon, saying he worked at the City Work Committee; now that he thinks about it, there really is no wall in this world that doesn't leak wind.

While he was listening, Huang Gan, who had walked back from outside, looked very grim. He walked to Li Li Xuewu's side, leaned into his ear, and whispered: "Someone at Jing University is making trouble... big-character posters..."

"When did this happen?"

Li Li Xuewu listened to Huang Gan's words, looked at him in surprise, and asked: "This isn't..."

"Yes, it's today's matter."

Huang Gan looked at Li Li Xuewu with a serious face and said: "The work team from above has already gone to Jing University; they should be taking charge of the work."

Li Li Xuewu was shocked, but he didn't show any more surprise, because he knew that these things would happen.

It's just that he hadn't expected it, nor had he experienced it; now that he is in the middle of it, connecting these small things one by one, isn't it exactly what he knows?

Seeing that Li Li Xuewu didn't speak, Huang Gan sat directly beside him, kept a straight face, grabbed the cigarette box on the table, shook out a cigarette, and started smoking.

And Li Li Xuewu was still listening to the speech on the radio, but his thoughts had already drifted far away.

Including the matters at the branch bureau last month, including the municipal bureau's, and including the steel mill's.

Perhaps starting from Jing University, starting from today, the curtain is about to be raised; at least this form of criticism and opposition, and the way the authorities respond after such problems occur.

The work team currently presiding over this activity must also be having a very difficult time.

Li Li Xuewu had a cigarette in his mouth, squinting his eyes as he looked at the lighter on the table; his ears were full of words like opposition, line, eliminate, etc. For a moment, his heart was also in a mess.

It's not that he wants to do something in this turbulent era, but that the wind is blowing him to do something.

Today's events are also tomorrow's lessons; Li Li Xuewu suspected that Li Li Huade would do this.

The club gathering became quiet because of this news; with the end of the news broadcast, everyone no longer had the mood to continue chatting.

Because it wasn't just Li Li Xuewu's heart that was unsettled; everyone was the same.

Everyone dispersed, and Li Li Xuewu said a few words to Huang Gan and others before driving home.

The courtyard was still bustling, completely unaffected by the news on the radio; it's hard to say if the courtyard even heard this news.

The few families with radios didn't listen to them often, and even if they did, they might not necessarily understand.

When Li Li Xuewu entered the courtyard, the inverted rooms were still burning the midnight oil; the young men were not affected by the chatting of the people cooling off in the courtyard, each reading the books in their hands.

Shen Shen Guodong and Xiao Yan had left long ago, and Lao Lao Biaozi was going to wait for his "flower in the mirror, moon in the water," so he didn't live here either.

Only Yang Erhai was sitting on the kang with the Second Master and others, looking at playing cards.

He didn't see Yu Li; Seeing Sha Zhu was playing cards in the inverted room and called Li Li Xuewu to come in, but Li Li Xuewu didn't go in, just said a few words by the window.

It turned out that because of the heat, Liu Yin bought a watermelon and had been soaking it in cold water all afternoon; the women had all gone to the Li house to eat watermelon, including Seeing Sha Zhu's wife, Diliya.

When Li Li Xuewu walked past the screen wall, he glanced at the gatehouse; perhaps because they heard the sound of his car, there was no laughter this time, and the card game should have broken up.

He had said his piece in the morning, and it had some weight; at least no one dared to continue playing cards all night under his pressure.

Li Li Xuewu was still thinking about telling Lao Lao Biaozi to add a gate in the East Seeing Seeing He Yuan, just like the screen wall here.

Two women lived in the East Seeing Seeing He Yuan; although Ji Ji Yuxiu wasn't afraid, Yu Li was still timid.

And these bachelors who didn't sleep and played cards in the gatehouse were prone to doing something rash when their heads got hot.

Li Li Xuewu thought to himself as he stepped into the hanging flower gate, but the front courtyard was very lively.

Perhaps because he returned early, the people cooling off had all gathered in the front courtyard, making it seem very noisy.

Some talkative men saw Li Li Xuewu enter the courtyard and took the initiative to greet him.

Li Li Xuewu was also a man of the world and distributed cigarettes to the men sitting there chatting.

This really surprised these people, and they smiled even more proudly.

Li Chu was handing out cigarettes, and good ones at that; this was no small matter!

"Good, good, I have my own light."

Handing out cigarettes was one thing, but when they saw Li Li Xuewu flip open the lighter in his hand, everyone declined.

Good grief, they could take the cigarette, but if they let Li Li Xuewu light it for them, would they be able to sleep at night?

Seeing that everyone was being polite, Li Li Xuewu lit his own, smiled, and stood in the courtyard chatting with them.

Yan Yan Fugui lived in the front courtyard and was the Third Master; he seemed like the boss of the front courtyard and signaled to his youngest son.

Yan Yan Jiekuang was also quick-witted; seeing his father's signal, he moved a stool and sent it over to Li Li Xuewu.

"Thanks, man."

Seeing the liveliness at home, which was all women, Li Li Xuewu didn't go inside and sat down in the courtyard on the stool given by the Third Master.

Yan Yan Jiekuang was stunned by Li Li Xuewu's thanks, smiled, and ran back home.

He was a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy, at an age when his mind was sensitive, longing for respect and admiring people with power.

In this courtyard, Li Li Xuewu was like a mythical existence to young people like them.

Romantic in his youth, imposing and domineering, three years of accumulation, and then becoming famous throughout the world in one fell swoop.

To say that these children in the courtyard didn't envy Li Li Xuewu would be impossible; they all wanted to be like Li Li Xuewu, with a romantic past and a glorious present.

Yet Li Li Xuewu became more introverted after marriage, and became low-key when getting along with people in the courtyard.

Especially when the men in the courtyard sat together, they talked about work matters and chatted about "big events."

When it came to big events, they would always ask for Li Li Xuewu's opinion after finishing.

And Li Li Xuewu would be vague, always speaking smoothly, and would never say anything out of line.

Everyone listened as if it were very profound, nodding along while pretending to understand, and then hearing Li Li Xuewu's words seem to contain what they had said, they thought they had received Li Li Xuewu's approval and were all delighted.