Chapter 692: A Master of Digging Holes

"Hey! You guys don't believe me!"

Old Biaozi looked around, looked at Grandfather, Second Grandfather, Seeing Sha Zhu, and Li Xuewu, looked at Erhai and Yu Li...

Looking around like this, everyone had a pursed-lip smile. Although they didn't say it explicitly, he understood what they meant.

"Fine, just wait and see!"

Old Biaozi waved his hand, considering it giving up on explaining. He felt that no matter how much he explained now, it would be in vain.

Li Xuewu encouraged him with a smile: "Fine, as long as you have this ambition, you will definitely find an object."

Old Biaozi looked at Brother Wu, his face full of injury, and said: "You don't believe I have an object either, right?"

After finishing, he gritted his teeth and said to Li Xuewu: "Give me a few more months, and I will definitely bring them back for you to see!"

"Fine! I'll wait!"

Second Grandfather knew how to talk. He narrowed his eyes and smiled: "Don't say a few months; if we can see people before the new year, it counts as you not talking big."

"You guys are really bullying people!"

Old Biaozi pouted and said: "What hinders me isn't whether they choose me, but which one I choose. You guys won't understand the pain I'm in."

"Indeed, have to understand."

Seeing Sha Zhu scooted closer to Lao Biaozi, patted him on the shoulder, and said to everyone, "Look at Biaozi's gentle, jade-like, elegant young master appearance—what kind of partner couldn't he find?"

"Hahahaha~"

Everyone looked at Old Biaozi wrestling with Seeing Sha Zhu and burst into laughter.

Li Xuewu also stood up with a smile, picked up his teacup, and moved away, afraid of affecting the two wrestling.

Both were short, thick, and fat, so they could really wrestle for a while.

Because they were on the kang, leaning against the bedding, everyone just watched the fun.

Li Xuewu was thinking the next day at work about whether what Old Biaozi said about the object was true.

On Friday, the enthusiastic atmosphere of the Steel Mill fruit train hadn't dissipated yet, but it was diluted quite a bit by a piece of news.

Because starting this week, the work team began to talk to individual cadres and workers, and began an organizational investigation into certain cadres of the Steel Mill.

The matter had long been spread far and wide. People in the mill office had been discussing it earlier, and today it erupted.

The reason was that a big-character poster was posted at the entrance of the work team's office, accusing certain leaders of the Steel Mill of going against the current, making up the numbers, doing sloppy work, and having a pile of problems.

In it, they even listed some things that were and weren't true, making people look at them as if they were real, but they were all the content that was spread in the office after tea and dinner.

There was also detailed content about the Logistics Division, listing some situations that the work team had investigated earlier, combined with some things that were catching shadows.

This was adding a ladle of hot water to the boiling oil pan of the Steel Mill. The mill office exploded directly, and rumors were flying everywhere.

Some said the big-character poster was reported by Vice Factory Director Li, and others said it was someone else, but once the content about the Logistics Division appeared, everyone subconsciously thought of Vice Factory Director Li.

And the rumors even said that when the work team opened the door in the morning, many report letters were stuffed through the door crack, and they were not from the same person.

Everyone didn't know what the content was, only that the work team accelerated the speed and intensity of the investigation as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

People in the office looked at Vice Factory Director Li's office with strange eyes. Was it really going to lose another vice factory director?

Li Xuewu also heard this news from Sha Qizhi. He was slightly surprised, asked two or three questions, and didn't ask again. Sha Qizhi didn't say anything more either.

After sending Li Xuewu home after work yesterday, Sha Qizhi was sent home by Han Jiankun, and then had a lively time with his family and his wife's family.

His wife, who had finally put down her worry after he returned, didn't notice the fruit he brought back, but quietly asked him about the fight.

Sha Qizhi was a decent person, and his wife was also steady. The two personalities were quite compatible.

His wife saw that his movements were unnatural after he returned from the fight, so she chased him and asked. He told her simply, which provoked a burst of complaints from his wife.

It wasn't that she complained about him doing things for the leader, but just said that he was so old and still impulsive like a young man.

Hearing that the leader arranged for him to go on a business trip, she thought a big problem had occurred, so she didn't dare to say anything more, and helped Sha Qizhi pack his luggage with tears in her eyes.

The children didn't know what happened to their father, only heard that their father was going on a business trip for a period of time, and were all happily looking forward to their father bringing back delicious food.

Sha Qizhi's wife had held back these tears for more than ten days, and only let them fall the moment she saw Sha Qizhi return safely.

The children naturally didn't understand the tears between their parents, nor did they know what had happened, only knowing that their father had brought back delicious food.

Sha Qizhi comforted his wife while coaxing the children to divide the fruit, wanting to send some to his mother-in-law's house.

His wife naturally didn't understand why he was sending it in the evening. Even if the fruit couldn't be stored, there was no need to be so rushed.

But when Sha Qizhi said he wouldn't rest tomorrow and had to continue working, and could only rest on Sunday, Sha Qizhi's wife still felt a bit sorry for him.

Thirty years old is an awkward age—with old people above and children below, ambitions unfulfilled, and already carrying several burdens on his back.

In the unit, he was neither up nor down, sighing all day long.

Once he gained power, he didn't want to be an idle person anymore.

In his wife's view, Sha Qizhi's struggle was still for this family, for them, and for the unscattered ambition in his chest.

All she could do was take care of the family well and not hold Sha Qizhi back. Even her heartache had to be hidden and implicit, for fear of causing Sha Qizhi worry.

With the care and consideration of his wife, Sha Qizhi was naturally full of energy and threw himself back into work.

After a gap of more than ten days, he had many things to do. Understanding Li Xuewu's recent itinerary and work content was a big job, and at the same time, he couldn't fall behind on Li Xuewu's existing work.

Although Yu Decai had done a lot for him these days, and although Li Xuewu himself had done a lot, he couldn't have continuity in his subsequent work without re-combing through it.

This is the difficulty of secretarial work: you can't fall behind the leader by even a step. If you delay for a few days, the work will pile up exponentially.

This is a position with strong independence, because the importance of a secretary doesn't lie in the work in his hands, but in the person himself.

Sha Qizhi had been busy since morning, working with Li Xuewu in Li Xuewu's office, and also looking at the files in the file cabinet to re-file them.

He was busy when he heard the telephone ring on the desk.

He glanced at Li Xuewu, who was still reading documents, waited for three seconds, and then walked over to answer the phone.

"Hmm, hello, this is the Security Division."

Sha Qizhi's way of answering the phone was very particular. The first word expressed his identity, letting the listener know that the person answering the phone wasn't Li Xuewu himself, asking the other party to be careful about what they said.

Then came a very polite greeting, which annotated the previous word and distinguished the source of the call, subconsciously reminding the other party to first determine the relationship of superior-subordinate and distance in the subsequent dialogue.

Finally, he introduced himself, but didn't say he was Li Xuewu's secretary, and certainly didn't say this was the phone of the Security Division Chief.

This was to prevent random calls, wrong numbers, or people asking for the wrong person.

At the same time, answering the phone also meant that Li Xuewu was unwilling to answer this call, or that it was inconvenient to answer the phone at this time, filtering it through him.

But he was Li Xuewu's secretary. Even with filtering, he had to have a certain ability to block. If the identity was too high, he had no way to stop it.

So, one response represented that Sha Qizhi had truly matured and reached the standard required by Li Xuewu in the secretarial position.

Sha Qizhi thought it was from some department in the mill, or a call related to the matter this morning. He didn't expect it to be from Red Star Elementary School, identifying themselves as the school principal, wanting to report work to Deputy Director Li.

Li Xuewu was right beside him. The amplification effect of this phone was very touching; one had to speak loudly, and one had to hide one's ears when listening to the other party's words.

Sha Qizhi saw Li Xuewu raise his head and glance at him before continuing to work, so he knew Li Xuewu's attitude.

In a few words, he said the leader was in a meeting and that anything could be relayed on his behalf.

Because the relationship between the two parties was clarified and he saw Li Xuewu's attitude, Sha Qizhi didn't mean to ask the leader to call the other party back.

Hearing this, the other party said that the matter Deputy Director Li arranged yesterday had been handled, and asked him to relay it to the leader.

Sha Qizhi responded politely, then hung up the phone.

"Chief, the principal of Red Star Elementary School, reporting that the matter you entrusted yesterday has been handled."

"Hmm."

Li Xuewu just responded, and then there was no more talk. Sha Qizhi went to get busy.

This was a private matter, nothing to talk about on the phone, and there was no need to be polite to the elementary school principal.

If it were a close relationship, the elementary school principal wouldn't have called his office, or would have called his home, or come to the office to report.

Not calling his home meant the relationship wasn't close, and not coming to the office to report meant the relationship wasn't enough, and the other party's rank was too low.

What rank is an elementary school principal generally?

Regular section or deputy section. If you add the service unit and the branch organization, such a rank was a bit insufficient in the Steel Mill.

Li Xuewu didn't intend to let the other party take much of his favor, nor did he want to take much of the other party's favor. Being able to call him from the office was enough face.

If it were anyone else, there would be secretaries calling, which would be even less face.

As for why Li Xuewu could influence Red Star Elementary School and why he could take action with one phone call, this had to be explained from the nature of Red Star Elementary School's operation.

The current Red Star Steel Mill was originally based on the Beijing Steel Mill Third Factory. The number of people wasn't that large, but relying on Beijing, they already had their own worker base, and the workers' children also had the need to go to school.

So, around 1951, based on the literacy classes and literacy classes of that year, the Steel Mill established its own factory elementary school for basic education.

During this period, the Steel Mill Third Factory Elementary School not only undertook the basic teaching tasks for school-age children but also undertook the literacy and learning tasks for Steel Mill workers.

By the end of 1955, the Steel Mill Third Factory achieved a literacy rate of over 70%. The workers' cultural level was higher, so the workers' grades were improved, and many fifth-level workers appeared.

That year, the First Master and the Ye Ye Erye also took advantage of this wind and grew into senior workers of the Steel Mill step by step.

In January 1956, in response to the requirements of the relevant education departments, all factory-run elementary schools had to be transferred to the local area. The Steel Mill Third Factory Elementary School naturally responded to the policy and transferred it to Dongcheng.

The children of the Steel Mill Third Factory could still go to school; it was just that the management rights and ownership of the school were no longer with the Steel Mill.

Similarly, the personnel relations of the teachers were also transferred to the education management department of Dongcheng.

When time reached July 1957, the policy from above changed again. These factory elementary schools had to be transferred back to their respective factories.

A year had passed, and from the principal to the teachers and students in the school, the structure of personnel and personnel had undergone no small changes.

The Steel Mill Third Factory followed the instructions to re-receive the school and receive the relevant personnel relations, but problems appeared here.

The factory could receive the personnel relations that followed the elementary school, but other personnel relations that were transferred in and adjusted later could not be transferred. These belonged to the education system of Dongcheng itself.

There were many sayings about this. On one hand, it might be the tension of teacher resources, and Dongcheng had its own considerations. On the other hand, these teachers themselves were unwilling to transfer their Dongcheng personnel relations to the factory's personnel relations.

At this time, there was a saying: "Born a factory person, die a factory ghost." This refers to the relatively closed personnel relations in the factory, where they would just be transferred and active in this circle, without much space.

This is a policy and historical issue. When handling this matter, the leaders of the Steel Mill Third Factory at that time were unwilling to have the elementary school teacher team adjusted, causing a loss of educational resources, so they negotiated with Dongcheng to run the school together.

The basic condition was that each managed their own. Dongcheng's teachers were managed by Dongcheng, and Steel Mill's teachers were managed by the Steel Mill.

Steel Mill workers' children could go to school, and students transferred by Dongcheng could also go to school.

The school belonged to the Steel Mill, and the school running funds also belonged to the Steel Mill.

Of course, what was said here about each managing their own refers to personnel relations and salary treatment, not administrative management.

The administrative management of the school was also very complicated. The corresponding Party branch established after the transfer back to the Steel Mill in July 1957 gradually evolved into being decided by the secretary.

By March 1963, the above issued the "Provisional Regulations on the Work of Full-time Primary and Secondary Schools," requiring the principal responsibility system, just like the factory, solving the problem of who was in charge between the secretary and the factory director.

Therefore, the administrative management rights of the elementary school were transferred from the Party Committee to the business side.

Subsequently, the middle schools established in the following years were the same, including vocational middle schools, all of which were hung under the management of the Logistics Division.

Factory elementary schools across the country had similar experiences during this period.

Speaking of who manages the current elementary school principal—they are managed by the Dongcheng Education Department, and also managed by the Steel Mill. The business is guided by others, and the funds are constrained by the Steel Mill.

The elementary school principal who just called was a little daughter-in-law who was bullied. The reason he didn't dare to provoke Li Xuewu was also because of this.

Third Master Yan Fugui also taught at Red Star Elementary School. He was transferred in between 1956 and 1957.

So his personnel relations were not in the Steel Mill; he just taught at the Steel Mill children's elementary school and received the elementary school's teaching salary.

This was the reason why none of his children had a relationship with the Steel Mill.

Eldest son Yan Jiefang wanted to enter the factory, but still had to go through connections.

Student allocation—you are told where to go to school, so you go there. Many Steel Mill workers lived here, and the children all went to the Steel Mill elementary and middle schools. When the neighborhood office allocated them, they were all allocated like this.

Later, as the Steel Mill merged with other iron and steel enterprises, the elementary schools gradually merged with other elementary schools, and the middle schools also gradually merged with other middle schools, forming today's teaching scale.

The Li family brothers, including the little sister Li Xue, were not related to the Steel Mill, but could go to school at the Steel Mill elementary school and the Steel Mill middle school.

And Third Master Yan Fugui taught at the elementary school, but was not related to the Steel Mill. These situations were all due to the complex policies at that time.

When Li Xuewu first entered the mill, Xie Dajie saw that Li Xuewu's school files were all from the Steel Mill, which was why she had that sentence when introducing him to Dong Wenxue.

As for Li Xuewu making this call, it was also because he heard Banggeng say it, remembered that gentle female comrade, remembered the day at the tap water plant, and remembered that box of lamb dumplings that had no end.

Although Li Xuewu had met her at the end of April and invited her to attend his wedding, he only saw her name in the gift book, but didn't see the person.

This time, hearing that her situation was not good, he thought and thought, and then directly called Red Star Elementary School.

Li Xuewu didn't ask about the past, didn't ask about heaven's secrets, and didn't ask about human hearts.

Past and future matters—going too far is as bad as not going far enough; what is the benefit of thinking about it?

Man proposes, God disposes; what is the benefit of thinking about it?

Human hearts change, fate is impermanent; what is the benefit of thinking about it?

Some things were known, so he did them, but after doing them, he did them. Li Xuewu didn't take this matter as anything, nor did he want to ask for anything.

Before getting off work in the morning, bad news came from the mill again. This time, it was Nie Chenglin who made the first move.

Sha Qizhi returned from the mill office after handing over work and reported to Li Xuewu in a low voice: "Vice Factory Director Nie threw the files and scolded for more than half an hour in the office."

"Hmm."

Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly, his fountain pen didn't stop, and he continued to write something.

Sha Qizhi heard the leader's reaction and continued to report: "It is said that Vice Factory Director Nie intends to adjust the work content of the two sections in his hands, requiring the subordinates to rectify the team, strictly enforce discipline, and plan the work."

In short, according to what Sha Qizhi heard, Vice Factory Director Nie intended to cut off the projects that the Safety Production Management Division and the Design Division were cooperating with other departments on, and focus on the production tasks and design projects assigned from above.

At the same time, Vice Factory Director Nie had also discussed with Vice Factory Director Jing whether the projects that the Production Management Division and the Design Division were taking care of could be transferred to the joint enterprise.

Vice Factory Director Jing was naturally willing. She was in charge of finance—could she not know whether these projects made money?

And these projects were all projects of the Steel Mill itself, including personnel and project foundations, which could be carried out without cooperating with other factories.

And the products of these projects were all fist products, which could become a powerful foundation for mutual benefit with other factories.

The point was that accepting these projects could alleviate the pressure brought to her by the workers, and these projects could recruit workers from the children of the Steel Mill workers after landing in the joint enterprise.

Most importantly, it could also strike at the layout of certain people and pinch the necks of certain people.

She thought that the Security Division's projects were all dependent on the Steel Mill's powerful industrial system. Without the Steel Mill, the Security Division couldn't find others to cooperate on this and could only be controlled by her.

The joint enterprise lacked projects, lacked good projects. Now that someone was sending a pillow when they were sleepy, could she not be happy?

She could wake up laughing even in her sleep!

The Security Division was rich, with training grounds, cavalry patrol teams, and now security equipment configuration and research and development, all of which were big spenders. Did Li Xuewu ever frown?

Automobile maintenance, security vehicle modification, fire equipment production, fire vehicle modification, security equipment production, safety training...

The Security Division had too many ways to make money; there was no way she couldn't be jealous.

But happy is happy, jealous is jealous. She also had experience. Being beaten once was enough; she couldn't be beaten every time.

So when Nie Chenglin proposed to throw these "garbage" projects to the joint enterprise, she was in favor, but didn't come forward to do the work.

She just let Nie Chenglin do it. As long as Nie Chenglin coordinated with Factory Director Yang Fengshan and coordinated with the two sections below, the joint enterprise could even build factory buildings overnight.

Nie Chenglin found a home for these "garbage" projects and communicated with the factory director, and also did work with the work team, but got stuck in the two departments below.

He had reminded and warned Kuang Yusheng and Xia Zhongquan more than once to deal with these projects that delayed time and work, and to focus their work on the Steel Mill's own projects.

And these few times, Kuang Yusheng and Xia Zhongquan used various excuses to prevaricate him, perfunctory him, and even took out the documents approved by the factory at the beginning, saying that the Security Division requested the Design Division to help design fire equipment, and that the current project was still ongoing, and all projects were sub-projects of this project.

Nie Chenglin was almost driven crazy. He threw the materials submitted by the two directly and even lost his temper directly at the two.

This was what Sha Qizhi heard from the mill office. Vice Factory Director Nie had been frantically outputting in the office for half an hour.

The doors of the factory leader's office weren't like those of later generations—they weren't soundproof, nor were they insulated. They were just wooden, with glass windows on top.

Leaders who were particular would ask their secretaries to hang a small curtain on the glass window, white, to block the line of sight.

Of course, there were also those who didn't block it. During important conversations, the secretary would stand at the door smoking.

As long as you saw the secretary smoking at the leader's door, or watching something, then don't go over; there must be something going on.

What exactly Vice Factory Director Nie was scolding in the room couldn't be heard clearly, but the volume was loud, so they knew.

Li Xuewu knew about this matter because Kuang Yusheng had told him last time. The two had a conversation at the entrance of the guesthouse, and he even advised Kuang Yusheng not to be so angry, and certainly not to confront the leader.

Look, it's a big mess now!

This was all something Li Xuewu didn't want to see. Unity, superior-subordinate relationships—wouldn't it be bad if they made such a mess?

Could he, Li Xuewu, watch his good friends and good comrades argue with the leader in charge, and watch them not be united?

His heart ached; it was all because of money!

So Li Xuewu decided to learn from the pain, maintain the stability of the overall situation, maintain the production order of the Steel Mill, start from the overall situation, and do some things he could do.

"Instruct the finance department to cut off the funds for the engine research and development project, cut off the financial allocation to the Production Management Division and the Design Division, and finish the existing unfinished work as soon as possible."

Li Xuewu instructed Sha Qizhi: "Coordinate with the two sections and say that to ensure the safety of financial funds and respond to the current complex situation, the Security Division needs to reconsider the production cooperation relationship of the projects."

Sha Qizhi nodded and agreed, and also asked: "Will this affect the progress of related projects? I heard that the engine project has already achieved results."

"Hmm, no way."

Li Xuewu took a sip of tea, looked at the fountain pen in his hand, and said: "People have been thinking about us for more than a day or two. Breaking before standing—losses are inevitable."

After finishing, he screwed the fountain pen, stood up, and said: "Just do it this way. The Security Division won't be short of funds for a while, and I just want to see if these workers are short of this subsidy."

Sha Qizhi glanced at Li Xuewu, who was standing by the window, didn't ask anything more, and turned to go handle the matter.

The Security Division wasn't short of funds, but now who dared to say they weren't short of money?

Who didn't know the goodness of money? It's easy to go from frugal to extravagant, but hard to go from extravagant to frugal.

In the past, it was thirty or forty yuan a month. Now that the unit had other projects, they could earn ten or twenty yuan more each month. As long as they sacrificed a little time after work, you say, would they be willing?

The diligent ones who were willing to endure hardship earned thirty-something yuan in wages, and the subsidy could earn thirty-something yuan. The family's expenses suddenly became affluent.

Now someone said they wanted to cut their subsidy. You say, what would they be like?

Li Huai De could laugh out loud in his office when he heard this news. He was trying to create contradictory emotions, and someone was sending him a head.

He sometimes thought that it was really God's will, as if someone was pushing him to progress behind the scenes, doing things smoothly everywhere, and even opponents appeared as pig teammates.

Hearing Nie Chenglin make this move, Li Huai De didn't even move, and didn't even call the Security Division. He knew Li Xuewu knew how to do it.

Now that he had an assistant, Li Huai De also walked out of the office with peace of mind and went to the work team's office to "surrender."

Li Xuewu stood by the office window and watched Li Huai De walk out of the office, walking toward the work team's office with a solemn face.

He thought Li Huai De's mood must be extremely beautiful and extremely comfortable now. If it was really like this, then he, the "director," would also be comfortable.

Li Huai De and Li Xuewu were comfortable, but Kuang Yusheng and Xia Zhongquan were in trouble.

At noon, everyone was eating in the guesthouse canteen. It was obvious that the moods of the two were not right, especially Kuang Yusheng, whose words carried anger, and no one dared to provoke him.

Xia Zhongquan was still that steady temperament, but there were many more wrinkles between his eyebrows, and he frequently looked at Li Xuewu's side at the dinner table.

Just as everyone was dining, shocking news came again.

"What did you say?"

Zhang Guoqi stared at his secretary. He had a bad premonition when he saw the secretary walk in with a flustered expression just now.

Now hearing what the secretary said, he was so surprised that he even forgot the chopsticks in his hand. He wanted to grab the secretary, but almost overturned the rice bowl.

And the secretary also repeated the content he had whispered in the leader's ear earlier in a flustered manner.

He had spoken in a small voice earlier, but this time he didn't dare to lean into the leader's ear, so the voice was louder, and everyone heard it clearly.

"Vice Factory Director Li took the initiative to explain the problem to the work team. Now the work team requires you to go to the work team's office immediately to cooperate with the investigation."

"Clatter~"

The chopsticks in Zhang Guoqi's hand finally couldn't be held, fell, and hit the table, scattering on the ground.

He wanted to grab them, but unconsciously overturned the rice bowl again. This meal was both choking and blocking.

Looking at Zhang Guoqi's lonely figure leaving, and looking at the scattered rice bowls on the table, everyone had a kind of empathetic desolation.

Under Zhang Songying's signal, the waiter ran over to tidy up the table, and everyone lost interest in eating anymore.

Everyone finished the rice in their bowls and left the table. Xia Zhongquan pulled Kuang Yusheng and followed Li Xuewu to the tea hall.

The sun was strong at noon today, so Li Xuewu didn't go to the lakeside, but came to the tea hall again.

Because it was in the shade and water had been sprinkled on the ground, it was cooler in the room.

The small garden behind the house was still very pleasing to the eye. Li Xuewu chose the seat he often sat in.

Today, Xiao Jin was on duty here, so he went to prepare tea drinks when he saw Li Xuewu come in.

When Kuang Yusheng and Xia Zhongquan sat down, he brought tea over together.

After Xiao Jin left, Xia Zhongquan looked at the sulking Kuang Yusheng and sighed, then said: "You can't blame Director Li for this."

"I didn't blame him."

Kuang Yusheng said stubbornly, his eyes looking toward the small garden, his face sinking: "If I'm allowed to sit in this position, I'll sit

Kuang Yusheng said stubbornly, looking toward the small garden with a sullen face, "If this position lets me sit, I'll sit; if it doesn't, I'll go down to the workshop and work as a laborer. It's not like I can't support my family."

Li Xuewu glanced at him but said nothing, merely nudging the fruit Xiao Jin had brought over toward him.

Xia Zhongquan saw Li Xuewu's gesture, which remained as courteous as ever.

In his eyes, Li Xuewu was a complex person who also possessed a unique personal charisma; he could take action, yet could also appear just like an upright gentleman.

Hearing Kuang Yusheng's angry words, he also looked helpless, glanced out the window, and said, "You won't starve if you go to the workshop, but what about the workers under you?"

After finishing, he looked at Li Xuewu again and said, "You have them now, but why didn't you talk about going to the workshop when you didn't have them before?"

"I act with a clear conscience."

Seeing Xia Zhongquan say this, Kuang Yusheng was also unwilling to yield, frowning as he said, "I dare to say the same things I said today to the people below."

"I didn't call you a coward; I'm talking about responsibility, about how to solve the problem."

Xia Zhongquan tapped the tabletop with his finger and said, "This matter has already happened. Director Li's fixed funds and projects are also meant to protect everyone's common interests. Have you forgotten the last time?"

"I know."

Kuang Yusheng looked at Li Xuewu and said very earnestly, "I'm not trying to be difficult with you, nor do I oppose you doing this..."

Li Xuewu didn't wait for Kuang Yusheng to finish explaining before waving his hand, stopping him from continuing.

"Between you and me, along with Old Xia, we are all in a relationship of mutual trust; there's no need to explain."

Li Xuewu pointed at Kuang Yusheng and said, "I know exactly what kind of person you, Old Kuang, are—a man who would stand at attention even in death. I have never doubted your original intentions for these projects, nor would I ever question your responsibility toward the workshop workers."

Hearing Li Xuewu's words, Kuang Yusheng felt warmed; his throat moved, he let out a long breath, and at Li Xuewu's gesture, he picked up his teacup and took a sip of hot tea.

"I believe you know the ins and outs of the matter; there's no need for us to explain."

Xia Zhongquan looked at Li Xuewu with a bitter expression and said, "Just like the crisis last time, it's still about stripping us of the right to develop our own projects."

"The difference is that this time, the working group and the factory leadership have all agreed, and they have all prepared takeover plans."

Speaking to this point, Xia Zhongquan looked at Li Xuewu and said, "Vice Factory Director Nie said that Vice Factory Director Jing has promised to provide funding, raw materials, and sales direction support for several projects."

"For example?"

Li Xuewu's expression didn't change; he only glanced at Xia Zhongquan, signaling him to continue.

"For example, scrap vehicles, for example, project research and development funds, for example, the sales and promotion of firefighting equipment, and so on."

Xia Zhongquan took a sip of tea before continuing, "The joint enterprise will specifically recruit the children of workers from our two workshops, satisfying the workers' interests as much as possible."

"They will also be responsible for the initial investment and later maintenance of these projects, and the project leads can also come from our two departments..."

Xia Zhongquan didn't continue, because he saw the corners of Li Xuewu's mouth, sitting opposite him, curl slightly—was that a cold smile or mockery?

Li Xuewu saw he had stopped without finishing, so he nodded and said, "From the very beginning, I advised Old Kuang not to butt heads with the leadership, but to listen to orders, consider the big picture, and emphasize unity."

As he spoke, he spread his hands and said to the two, "Since they've offered such good conditions, then agree to it. The workers won't make a fuss, the children can all smile, and you don't have to bear this kind of pressure anymore. You can return to your core duties wholeheartedly—isn't this a win-win for everyone?"

Xia Zhongquan glanced at Li Xuewu and shifted his gaze to Kuang Yusheng.

Kuang Yusheng squinted, shook his chin, and sized up Li Xuewu for a while before saying, "We cooperate with the Security Division to do vehicle maintenance, firefighting equipment, and security equipment. It's not that we can't build them ourselves; the one we are cooperating with is the Security Division—it's you!"

As the head of a core department at the steel mill, although Kuang Yusheng had a bad temper and wasn't highly educated, his mind was clear.

He pointed a finger at Li Xuewu and said earnestly, "Old Xia and I only know how to design and produce; we don't understand the rest, nor do we need to. The cooperation has always been good precisely because you were the one doing the other work."

"Now, someone has jumped out and said she can do it too!"

Kuang Yusheng looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Do you think a joint enterprise that hasn't even managed to get off the ground on the basis of existing factory support and by coordinating the advantageous resources of other factories can do a good job with our current projects?"

"I don't believe it either."

Xia Zhongquan twitched his mouth and said impatiently, "You don't need to doubt our attitude. This matter isn't about us being selfish, nor is it about us wanting to hold onto the projects; it's that we don't trust her."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "It's a pity to hear you say that; it shows that our friendship hasn't reached the point of affecting work."

"But I am also honored to have your trust in our work."

Li Xuewu smiled slightly and continued, "This matter isn't just between the three of us; I think we should seek the workers' opinions."

"Is that necessary?"

Kuang Yusheng frowned slightly as he looked at Li Xuewu; he didn't think this was a good suggestion, as he felt it was inciting the workers to make a bad choice.

Xia Zhongquan held the same opinion and looked at Li Xuewu, waiting for him to explain.

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Management work should always serve organizational work; you should be clear about that."

As he spoke, he leaned back in his chair and explained to the two, "The steel mill will always belong to the workers and to the organization. As cadres, we can only be managers and servants; we must listen more to the workers' opinions."

Li Xuewu pointed at Kuang Yusheng and said, "You need to change this patriarchal management style of yours, especially regarding organizational work. Isn't the Party affairs work being done very well now? Why are you confused again?"

Kuang Yusheng turned his head slightly to look at Li Xuewu, his eyes full of confusion, while Xia Zhongquan beside him seemed to have understood something, frowning in thought.

Li Xuewu tapped the tabletop and said, "The workers' opinions are always the most important. You say it won't work, Vice Factory Director Nie says it won't work—it doesn't matter which other leader or which working group says it won't work. Understand?"

"You mean..."

Kuang Yusheng looked at Li Xuewu, hesitant in his heart and wavering in his speech.

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "After all, it is a welfare project for everyone; we should still express the leadership's opinions objectively and ask the worker comrades to choose for themselves."

Xia Zhongquan nodded before Kuang Yusheng and said, "I understand. Let's talk about it at the meeting this afternoon."

After saying this, seeing Kuang Yusheng look over, Xia Zhongquan blinked his eyes and said, "Just as Director Li said, management work should return to its roots; it is, after all, organizational work and mass work."

Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, saying nothing more. Nie Chenglin wanted to cut off his own arm, Jing Yunong had dug a pit, and Yang Fengshan and the working group were standing on the sidelines watching coldly.

What would it be like if he kicked both of them into the pit, lit a fire, and burned Yang Fengshan and the working group?

Digging a pit for Li Xuewu?

Li Xuewu was the true master of digging pits; no one understood digging pits better than he did.

Daring to provoke him at a time like this—it was really as if Li Huai De wasn't causing enough trouble already.

In the afternoon, Sha Qizhi brought Li Xuewu the news that the working group had moved into the Logistics Division, and also mentioned that Vice Factory Director Li had temporarily ceased work.

Who knew what was going on today? One piece of news after another was coming in, all of them deafeningly significant events.

Zhang Guoqi had already been disciplined and was now being called in to assist with the investigation; the working group moving into the Logistics Division meant that the Logistics Division had problems.

News of Li Huai De's situation had begun to spread since noon; he hadn't come out since he went to the working group's office, and he hadn't even eaten lunch.

Everyone sitting in the small canteen at noon watched as the factory director, the secretary, and others walked out with serious faces; there was no great joy of having a burden removed.

Who would dare believe that Li Huai De would walk right into a trap? Regardless of whether others believed it, Yang Yuansong didn't believe it, Yang Fengshan didn't believe it, and only a fool would.