Chapter 776: I'll fight you to the death!

Whether the Second Uncle's face looked good or not, no one knew, but no one in the courtyard had expected Li Xuewu to be so ruthless.

Especially the Third Uncle's family; they had discussed it overnight, and the third and fourth sons absolutely must not stir up trouble in the courtyard.

In the past, the Third Uncle's words carried no weight; Yan Jiekuang had even said that from now on, his family would be run by him.

But after what happened to Liu Guangfu this time, he finally understood: Li Xuewu was a man with a black heart and ruthless hands who truly dared to take action against people in the courtyard.

He Yu Shui only felt that Li Xuewu's aura was a bit too heavy, different from his usual self.

She didn't know if it was because the Second Aunt had provoked him, but in any case, it made her feel a bit afraid.

"What?"

Li Xuewu looked at the cautious He Yu Shui with amusement and asked, "Are you afraid I'll send you to work too? The kind where you pedal a sewing machine?"

"Who needs you to send me?!"

Yushui retorted sharply at Li Xuewu. The Second Uncle had gone to visit the prison, and Liu Guangfu had said that inside, he was pedaling a sewing machine.

He even said this kind of opportunity was rare and highly sought after inside; he hadn't expected to be pedaling one on his very first day, and felt very honored.

Just one day of the diet standard—a single corn bun and a ladle of cold water—had made that little brat Liu Guangfu understand many truths.

He Yu Shui stopped in her tracks at Li Xuewu's joke and asked, seemingly out of concern, "Aren't you afraid the Second Aunt will make a scene?"

"I am~"

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "But I'm even more afraid of a fire in my own backyard, so I can only wrong them a little."

Qin Huairu curled her lip; how could she not know which "backyard" Li Xuewu was referring to?

When referring to a single person, it meant Li Xuewu's family, but now, the "backyard" Li Xuewu spoke of referred to his foundation of life in the Sihe Academy.

Everyone living in this large courtyard counted as his backyard.

It seems a bit strange, right? Just look at the people around him and you'll know.

If a colleague says you're bad, it might be because of a work conflict, but if a neighbor says you're bad, or says your family is bad...

Normally, that might be fine, but in this period, Li Xuewu had to ensure that everyone in the courtyard spoke well of him.

The soft approach involved the bonds formed starting from the meat distribution, as well as various relationships within the courtyard.

The hard approach involved the cleanup plan starting with Xu Damao, the cleanup plan for the uncles, and the prevention plan for the little brats.

The results were quite good: the Second Uncle in the backyard didn't dare to be "irritable" anymore, Jia Zhangshi in the middle courtyard had become "sensible," and the Third Uncle in the front courtyard finally understood the true meaning of "fishing."

Speaking of fishing, the Third Uncle saw it clearly: Li Xuewu was indeed fishing, and once the fish was caught, he would enforce the law.

If you tell a young brat not to do something, at that age, wouldn't they just do exactly what you told them not to?

Alright, now the fish had taken the bait and gone to pedal the sewing machine, and the courtyard had truly quieted down in a rare way.

Last night, Yan Jiekuang and Yan Jie Di had taken the initiative to lead people in cleaning up all the banners and big-character posters plastered around the courtyard, and even swept up the place, just hoping that once that bandit returned, he wouldn't go fishing again.

"Mom, I'm hungry~"

Huaihua came out of the room, picking at her little hands, and said this to her mother, who was laughing and talking with Uncle Wu.

Hearing this, Jia Zhangshi hurriedly came out from the inner room, cast a timid glance at the three of them, and carried Huaihua back into the room to coax her.

Seeing the look in Li Xuewu and Yushui's eyes, Qin Huairu curled her lip and whispered, "She just likes to make a fuss; she's letting her imagination run wild."

Yushui pursed her lips and smiled; she had also heard her brother mention the Jia family's affairs.

Qin Huairu was going to cook, so Li Xuewu carried Li Shu and walked outside. Just as he turned, the child was snatched away by Yushui.

He Yu Shui actually didn't like small children much; they were noisy and troublesome, so annoying.

But Li Shu was different—big eyes, a chubby, pink doll, and she looked like a porcelain doll; she was adorable just to look at.

That's right, in this courtyard, Li Shu was a different kind of existence.

Other people's children weren't this delicate; she was fed milk and eggs to her heart's content, and all the aunts in the courtyard wanted to hold her.

There were quite a few aunts in the courtyard~

Li Shu wasn't afraid of Yushui, but she just turned her head to look at her Tell Baba. Seeing him following along, she looked outside.

When Yushui asked her for a kiss, she gave Yushui a peck on the cheek; as long as they took her out to play, she would do whatever they asked.

The front courtyard was livelier than the middle one. The inner courtyard only had the hanging flower gate as an entrance and exit, and since there was no work today, they had to greet anyone they saw.

Li Xuewu responded to the courtyard residents' politeness with his usual demeanor—humble, courteous, enthusiastic, and respectful.

Perhaps out of a desire to compete, Jia Zhangshi in the middle courtyard set up a table early in the morning to paste matchboxes, and the Yan family in the front courtyard was doing the same.

Compared to the Jia family, the Yan family had more people, so the workload was greater.

Li Xuewu followed slowly behind Yushui. Seeing the Yan family busy at the entrance, especially with the Third Uncle taking the initiative to greet him, he stopped to say a few words.

Yan Fugui was truly terrified. He was a people's teacher; if he really ended up with a son who went to prison, he would have no face to see anyone.

Li Xuewu looked at his fawning smile, which was hard to look at; it was truly too wretched.

"Third Uncle, doesn't your school have opportunities to go out for training?"

"What?"

Yan Fugui was stunned and asked suspiciously, "What kind of training out there?"

Li Xuewu smiled and gestured with his eyebrows, "The kind where you go down to do manual labor."

Yan Fugui's eyes widened abruptly. He had been defending against this and that, but Li Xuewu wouldn't be coming for him, would he!

"That... I'm not of a high enough rank, and those who can go down for training must be of that background."

As he spoke, seeing Li Xuewu didn't believe him, he emphasized, "I'm from a small proprietor background, and I'm also a target for unity at our school."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "So that's how it is."

After speaking, he looked the Third Uncle over and asked, "Then where did those who went down for training go? I heard some went outside the pass?"

"Indeed!"

Yan Fugui curled his lip. Just as he was about to say something, he looked at Li Xuewu's curious expression and asked, "How do you know about this?"

"Haha, I heard it while chatting at the office."

Li Xuewu laughed it off and didn't explain the reason.

Yan Fugui sighed and said, "It is true, but not many went. It seems the school took the initiative to fight for it."

After speaking, he waved his hand and said, "Doing this isn't good, treating teachers at school like... sigh~ I won't say it, I won't say it."

Li Xuewu looked at him and said with a smile, "Be cautious in speech and action; that's very good."

After speaking, he glanced at the Yan children working at the square table, and the meaning in his eyes gave Yan Fugui a fright.

Once Li Xuewu had gone outside, he shook the rag in his hand, glanced at the Li family across the way, turned back to his family, and warned, "A reminder: absolutely do not provoke him, and especially don't cause trouble in the courtyard."

Ge Shuqin's belly was big, and she was tired after sitting for a long time, so she stood up to move around.

She didn't pay much attention to her father-in-law's words; others might not see it clearly, but she had a handle on it.

From the very beginning, this Li Xuewu had given her a sense of crisis, as if he could take her life at any moment.

But later, as time went on and she entered this courtyard, she understood that Li Xuewu had no time to bother with her, let alone the people in the courtyard.

Come to think of it, restraining the people in the courtyard from causing trouble was actually beneficial to her and their family.

She approved of Li Xuewu dealing with Liu Guangfu; after all, she had been frightened by Liu Guangfu herself, and if she had really hurt her belly, it would have been a matter of life and death.

She also approved of intimidating the two little ones at home. She didn't know what was happening outside, but all things remain the same; Steel City hadn't been without work teams, and in the end, how many of those who made a big fuss ended up well?

This family was like a broken ship, with the elders having no sense of propriety and the young ones even less so. She had originally given up on everything, but that was before she had the child in her belly and saw her father-in-law speaking sense.

They were a small, humble family in the capital, but they had never left her short of a meal. Yan Jiecheng was tolerant of her, and her parents-in-law looked after her...

"Haven't you already said that~!"

Seeing Li Xuewu had passed, Yan Jiekuang threw down his work, retorted impatiently to his father, and shouted to his mother that he wanted to eat, as he had to go participate in activities in a while.

Seeing her brother not working, Yan Jie Di didn't work either; she stood up and went into the room to change clothes. She had gotten a new training shirt the day before yesterday and it was perfect to wear out today.

Yan Jiefang acted as if he hadn't heard his father speak, nor did he see his younger brother and sister being unreasonable; he mechanically did his manual labor, which made Yan Fugui shake his head and sigh.

He had also thought about it: if the second son's leg hadn't been injured, perhaps the one in trouble wouldn't have been Liu Guangfu.

What is called a blessing in disguise!

Because Yan Jiefang caused trouble, Li Xuewu caught Liu Guangfu!

"Why are you here so early?"

"Every day is this early!"

Wang Yamei smiled as she jumped off the back seat of her sister's bicycle, replied to Li Xuewu, and teased Li Shu, who was squatting on the ground playing with ants.

Seeing someone reaching out to grab her little stick, Li Shu impatiently shook her little hand, wanting to push her away.

Wang Yamei giggled and wanted to hold her, but Li Shu dodged her by shaking her body.

There was a shady spot in front of the recycling station gate. There weren't many people at this hour in the morning. Li Xuewu was watching her play when he happened to meet the sisters Wang Yamei and Wang Yajuan.

Wang Yajuan looked somewhat strangely at Li Xuewu, who was wearing a white tank top, large blue shorts, and plastic slippers on his feet.

This image was quite different from what she had seen in the office and what she had heard at the factory.

Li Xuewu didn't mind her scrutinizing gaze. He smiled as he watched Wang Yamei stand up, greet him, and go into the courtyard to get busy, then turned his gaze back to Li Shu playing on the ground.

Wang Yajuan hesitated for a moment, kicked up the bicycle stand, walked to Li Xuewu's side, and sat on the long bench beside him.

"Do you like small children?"

"No, you know that, don't you?"

Li Xuewu was still smiling as he looked at his daughter, but he also felt a bit helpless. He turned his head to look at Wang Yajuan and then said, "I don't like small children, but I like my daughter."

Wang Yajuan curled her lip and said, "You weren't like this before; you were so annoyed by Yamei that you couldn't stand it~"

"You aren't annoyed~"

Li Xuewu said with amusement, "Every time I went to your house, she would stare at me, and once I entered your room, she would peek through the door crack."

"Stop talking~!"

Wang Yajuan hadn't expected Li Xuewu to be so bold; he was a man with a daughter, why did he say whatever came to mind?

Thinking back to when she and Li Xuewu were in the room and her younger sister was watching from outside the door, she felt a bit uncomfortable.

Li Xuewu didn't mind her retort. He watched Li Shu play with a smile, but asked again, "Working today?"

"You don't know?"

Wang Yajuan combed her hair by her ear, glanced at Li Xuewu, and then followed his gaze to watch Li Shu, saying, "The instructor said time is tight and the task is heavy, so we have to get the program rehearsed."

After speaking, as if remembering something, she looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Hmm? Why do you ask?"

Li Xuewu looked at her with amusement. Someone from the alley came out to greet him and waved.

Wang Yajuan waited for the person to leave before frowning and saying, "You wouldn't just be doing a good deed by transferring all the people from our troupe here to support them, would you?"

"Even if you wanted to support our troupe, you wouldn't just leave us unused."

Wang Yajuan looked into Li Xuewu's eyes and said very seriously, "Including me!"

"You're overthinking it."

Li Xuewu turned his head back, reached out to take the small stone Li Shu handed him to play with, and watched as she snatched it back.

Wang Yajuan stared at Li Xuewu for a long while before pressing, "I've already come to the Rolling Mill; if you want me to do something, just say it. I don't have the ability to refuse you."

"No need to put it so difficultly."

Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "Using you is true, but it's just about publicity. Just do it well."

Wang Yajuan puffed out her cheeks and said angrily, "If you don't say it, I won't listen to you if you order me around later~"

"Haha~ Is it worth it~"

Li Xuewu chuckled and raised his eyebrows, "In your heart, am I someone who plays schemes and tricks?"

"Yes!"

Wang Yajuan nodded very firmly and said, "Ever since you came back, I almost don't recognize you anymore. You've changed too much, like a different person."

Li Xuewu also pondered and nodded, saying, "Maybe your departure had a relatively large impact on me."

After speaking, he looked at Wang Yajuan seriously, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "You have to know what a breakup means to a boy whose heart is just beginning to stir."

"You? Your heart is just beginning to stir?"

Wang Yajuan looked at Li Xuewu talking nonsense with amusement, curled her lip, and said, "Don't think I don't know how many you had before and after when you were with me~ Hmph~"

As she spoke, she stood up, looked down at Li Xuewu, and said, "If you really don't say it, I'll just take it that you're doing a good deed~"

Li Xuewu looked indifferently at the proud girl standing beside him, his gaze full of openness.

Wang Yajuan pursed her lips. Seeing Li Xuewu didn't speak, she hummed and went to get her bicycle.

After kicking up the bicycle stand and still not seeing Li Xuewu call her, she glared at Li Xuewu and said, "I know, you want to play hard to get, right!?"

"I'll wait for you!"

After speaking, she gritted her teeth, got on her bike, and left angrily.

Li Shu didn't know what had happened. She stared with big eyes at the bicycle auntie who had left the alley, then looked at her Tell Baba.

There were quite a few aunties this morning~

"What's wrong? What good deed?"

The door panel behind them had already been dismantled by a few boys. Yu Li walked out from inside with a feather duster, glanced at the alley entrance, and then looked at Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu tilted his head to look at Yu Li, who had walked out, and said with a smile, "It's just a normal good deed~"

Yu Li curled her lip. Seeing Li Xuewu's serious expression, she knew he wasn't being serious.

Seeing Li Shu wanting to grab the duster in her hand, she handed the handle over and squatted down to coax Li Shu to play.

Li Xuewu sat on the bench at the entrance of the store like a street loafer, the cigarette Old Biaozi had handed him in the morning still tucked behind his ear.

Li Shu was closest to Yu Li and knew Yu Li treated her the best. They hugged, kissing and cuddling. Yu Li coaxed her to be happy, and she also coaxed Yu Li to be happy.

Xiaoyan and Wang Yamei brought a bag of marinated food out and entered the store, leaving Xiaoyan alone to tidy up. Wang Yamei ran out to take a look, and seeing her sister had left, asked Li Xuewu, "Did my sister say anything?"

"Say what?"

The sun was up by now. When Li Xuewu turned his head, the light was a bit blinding. He squinted and said, "She said for you to work hard, be obedient, and don't be naughty~"

Wang Yamei didn't believe these words at all; the tone was completely different from what she said to her sister, it sounded more like Brother Wu teasing her.

"Thank you~"

"Are you sincere?"

Li Xuewu was just teasing her, not expecting this girl to thank him so formally.

Wang Yamei was sincere. She stood beside Li Xuewu, sighed, and said, "I haven't cried since last week. Although I say training is hard when I get home, there's a happy look on my face, and my mom and dad worry less."

After speaking, she sighed helplessly again and asked Li Xuewu, "Do you think people will have many worries once they grow up?"

When she said this, she couldn't help but look at Li Shu playing in front of Yu Li and muttered, "How good it would be if one could always be as happy and joyful as a child."

"Wouldn't that make you a fool?"

Yu Li looked at her with amusement and then said, "If you really lived like a child, that would be what's not right."

Wang Yamei curled her lip and said, "I'd like to be a child, but my family doesn't allow it."

Li Xuewu crossed his legs, turned to look at Wang Yamei, and asked, "A child of nearly two hundred months?"

"Pfft~ Hahahaha~"

Wang Yamei, who was feeling melancholy, hadn't expected Li Xuewu to stab her at this moment, making Yu Li burst into laughter.

Second Uncle walked out with his hands behind his back, carrying a tobacco pouch. Seeing the few of them talking happily, he also smiled and said, "When you get a little older, you'll see yourself now as a child too."

Wang Yamei pouted after being teased by the few of them and went into the room embarrassedly.

Second Uncle smiled as he looked at Li Shu and sat on the stool beside Li Xuewu.

"Time passes and never returns~"

"You're not considered old at your age, right?"

Li Xuewu turned his head to look at Second Uncle, then looked into the alley in the early morning, where people were coming and going, very lively.

Second Uncle straightened his back and said with a bitter smile, "I'm nearly sixty; how can I dare say I'm not old?"

"Jiang Ziya was eighty and still came out to work; what does this count as?"

Li Xuewu teased Second Uncle with a smile and nodded at a customer who had come to the door.

The neighbors in this alley all knew him. In the past, they would enthusiastically greet him to brush up on their presence, but as his status changed, only the older ones dared to greet him.

This seemed to have become a symbol of status and rank. Some were afraid that if they greeted Li Xuewu and didn't get a response, it would be awkward, or that they would annoy him by delaying his speech.

Li Xuewu, however, was someone who didn't forget his original intention. At home, he still wore this casual attire, just for comfort, and also so the neighbors wouldn't feel he was a stranger.

It seems the term "grounded" didn't exist at this time, but Li Xuewu wanted to be this example.

He had nothing to be arrogant about. His parents lived here, and his whole family was the only one not here; neighborhood relations were particularly important.

Waiting for the customer to enter the store, Second Uncle pounded his legs and asked Li Xuewu, "Is everything packed properly?"

Seeing Li Xuewu nod, he also nodded and said, "Recently, more and more of these things are being collected. Even if we collect by weight, it's getting a bit strenuous."

Li Xuewu said indifferently, "If you need money, tell Biaozi. Go ahead and draw it; don't delay."

As he spoke, he checked the time and instructed Second Uncle again, "Steel City is also collecting, but Third Uncle can't judge the good from the bad, so he's just storing it all together. You have to go there once before the New Year."

Second Uncle turned to look at Li Xuewu and said, "Is Jicheng also going to have people go? Shall I go handle it?"

"We'll talk about that when the time comes."

Li Xuewu frowned slightly in thought and said, "If it goes smoothly, the Rolling Mill's office will also go to Jicheng, and it will be much simpler then."

After speaking, he looked at Second Uncle and asked with a smile, "Reluctant to let the boys go?"

"No~"

Second Uncle pounded his knees again, thinking of Li Xuewu's plan from last night. Someone had to go to Hong Kong. He knew these dozen boys couldn't stay; sooner or later, Li Xuewu would let them go.

But if a young eagle doesn't go through wind and rain, it will be raised as a waste. If they don't go out to see the world, they will always be dirt rats.

After being melancholy for a long time, Second Uncle turned to look at Li Xuewu and said seriously, "But please, Proprietor, show mercy."

"That shouldn't be necessary."

Li Xuewu kept a smile on his face, his gaze measuring Second Uncle as he said, "Do I treat them badly?"

Second Uncle was also measuring Li Xuewu. He could only beg Li Xuewu; he didn't have the qualifications to set conditions.

"That goes without saying. I'm just afraid that if they fly too far away, they'll forget where home is."

"They won't."

Li Xuewu said comfortingly, "As long as you are at home, they will know where home is. If they even forget you, then this place won't be their home anymore."

Second Uncle was most afraid of this point. It didn't matter if they forgot him, but Li Xuewu had spent so much energy cultivating them. If there really were one or two with two hearts, he would truly die with regret.

He knew quite well how black Li Xuewu's heart was. In the mainland, there were still rules and regulations, but if they really went to Hong Kong, he would naturally be happy if they did well, but if something happened, the people would probably be gone.

He was willing to lose this old face to beg Li Xuewu just in case, but looking at it now, Li Xuewu wasn't a tolerant and magnanimous person.

That's right, in this period, someone who could accomplish this kind of undertaking—if they really had a Bodhisattva's heart, they would probably have died eight hundred times over.

Thinking from another's perspective, if he were Li Xuewu, he would probably do even more ruthless things. Those rotten tricks used to deal with apprentices in the past would have been used long ago.

Li Xuewu patted Second Uncle's knee and stood up, took Li Shu from Yu Li's arms, and said, "You should also be more broad-minded. The children are growing up day by day. You have to take charge of the work in the shop; it's good to watch them get married and have children one by one."

This sounded like comfort for Second Uncle saying he was old just now, but Yu Li heard something else in it.

After Li Xuewu carried the child into the gate, Yu Li looked at the slightly hunched Second Uncle and said, "You're not unaware of his dog-like temper; he eats soft but not hard. You don't need to say some things out loud; just do them well."

Second Uncle nodded and said, "I know, I'm just flustered."

Yu Li advised him and didn't say anything more, supported Second Uncle, and said, "Tidy up and eat; we have to be busy all day today."

After Second Uncle also entered the gate, Yu Li sighed and went to the store with the feather duster.

The content of the meeting Li Xuewu had with a few people last night looked scary, but they had all followed Li Xuewu to this step; who could stay out of it?

If something happens, everyone is finished. Now they are truly people on the same boat.

Li Xuewu also cared about these boys, not only collecting books for them but also asking Zhao Yafang to help out; wasn't it all for the sake of using them?

At this time, useful people are always better than useless ones. Li Xuewu was careful in using people, but he didn't treat anyone unfairly.

Glancing at Xiaoyan, who was busy, and Shen Guodong, who came to help, she thought this young couple were the ones who understood.

"Stop working for now, go eat quickly. I'll watch the shop, and you come replace me in a while."

"How have things been recently?"

Li Xuewu turned his face to look at Li Xue, who was sitting in the passenger seat, and said with a smile, "I heard Old Xu praising you."

"Director Xu will naturally only say good things to your face."

Li Xue pursed her lips. Although she also wanted to appear proud, she still tried to restrain herself according to her personality.

Li Xuewu nodded with a smile, continued driving, and said, "Alright, a rare moment of clarity in the human world."

Li Xue pursed her lips and smiled this time; her second brother's praise was truer than others'.

"You have to be careful."

Looking at her second brother driving, Li Xue said with a smile, "If you give gifts to others, you must have something to ask for. If they praise your sister to your face, they must be plotting something against you. I'm not that good."

"I know."

Li Xuewu smiled, turned his head, and asked, "Isn't this good?"

"What? Being calculated?"

Li Xue looked at her second brother with amusement and said, "If people calculated you, flattered you, and said good things about you every day, and then asked you to do things, would you really be willing?"

"Otherwise?"

Li Xuewu rarely had a common topic with Li Xue. He turned the steering wheel and said, "Aren't you living this kind of life now?"

"How could I..."

Li Xue straightened her neck to retort, but when she thought of Peng Xiaoli's actions toward her and the attitude of those people in the office, she couldn't help but be speechless.

It seems it really is like this~

She only saw others flattering her second brother, but didn't see anyone flattering her.

This is really... it seems that ever since she started working with Deputy Factory Director Jing, she hadn't heard any bad words; everyone around her was a good person.

Those who took the initiative to help, those who helped get food, those who made way when they bumped into each other—there were all kinds.

Looking at her silent younger sister, Li Xuewu smiled, revved the engine, and turned into the alley.

By the time they entered the club, Li Xue asked her second brother, "Have I drifted?"

"It's alright."

Li Xuewu parked the car, nodded at Zhao Lao Si, who ran over, and said, "You can still recognize the situation."

Zhao Lao Si nodded and bowed, took the cigarette from Li Xuewu's hand, exchanged a few polite words, and greeted Li Xue.

Li Xue was still troubled by her actions these past few days. She looked at Zhao Lao Si and, seeing her second brother had left, walked closer and asked, "Brother Zhao, can you chat with me about your work?"

"What?!"

Zhao Lao Si's hand holding the cigarette stopped. He smacked his lips and suddenly felt the cigarette in his hand wasn't fragrant anymore.

Li Chuzhang's sister asked this; could it be that she was dissatisfied with his work? Or was someone going to replace his position? Or had he done something wrong and they didn't need him anymore?

His brain spun countless circles, during which he also glanced at the back of Li Chuzhang, who had already walked far away.

Li Xue thought he hadn't heard her clearly, so she repeated it and explained, "I think you are a very humble person, and I want to learn from you."

That's it! That's it!

Cold sweat was about to come down on Zhao Lao Si. What his master taught him was that in the past, when wealthy families dismissed people, they would always say a few polite words and wouldn't let them leave with resentment.

Li Xuewu found it inconvenient to tell him, so he handed him a cigarette and let his sister say this.

"No! I'm proud, I'm especially proud!"

Zhao Lao Si shook his head and said, "You don't know how proud I am now. This job is an honor for me, a practice of life, and a meaningful thing!"

Li Xue opened her eyes wide. She had never seen it before; this unremarkable gatekeeper could have such professional spirit.

"Your work attitude is very good. It's just that I can't be down-to-earth in my work, and I don't have a humble and cautious attitude..."

"How can you say that!"

Zhao Lao Si firmly couldn't let Li Xue finish her sentence, because after the good words would come things like "I think you have better development or places to go."

His master said these were all lies; as long as you left, you would never come back, and you would never find a job as good as the current one.

So when Li Xue hadn't finished speaking, Zhao Lao Si hurriedly expressed his position: "I think you are already very humble and very good at work. You don't need to learn from me at all. I am someone who is easily proud and complacent."

Li Xue frowned slightly and asked, "Is that so?"

"Yes! Yes!"

Zhao Lao Si stared seriously and said, "You haven't been to the club once or twice. In the process of contacting you, I can feel your humility! You are a good person!"

Li Xue looked suspiciously at Zhao Lao Si and Zhao Lao Wu, who had followed him to his side.

Seeing Li Xue's gaze look at his younger brother, Zhao Lao Si hurriedly winked at him.

Zhao Lao Wu was still stunned. Seeing his brother staring, he hurriedly nodded in agreement.

Li Xue was a bit confused. Could it be that she had always been humble? Just that she hadn't discovered it herself?

Watching Li Xue shake her head slightly and go into the courtyard, Zhao Lao Si finally relaxed his expression, took a deep breath, and whispered, "Me humble? Absolutely not! You're the humble one!"

After speaking, he looked at his younger brother, who looked like a silly roe deer, and told him his master's words and today's practice.

After hearing his brother's analysis, Zhao Lao Wu hurriedly gave a thumbs up, nodded in approval, and said, "Brother, you are still the experienced one!"

"That's right!"

Zhao Lao Si raised his neck and gestured to the courtyard, asking, "How are we brothers doing here?"

"Good, good!"

Zhao Lao Wu nodded and said, "We have food and drink, and cigarettes to smoke from time to time."

As he spoke, he shook his head and added, "It would be even better if there were wages."

"There will be!"

Zhao Lao Si handed the cigarette in his hand to his younger brother and said, "If you were messing around at home, who would give you food?"

"That's true, that's true!"

Zhao Lao Wu smiled, took the cigarette, and said, "I wouldn't have the guts to go to Steel City with Brother Zhou."

They all knew that working at the club had no wages, only enough food to be full, but going to Steel City to go to sea had wages, and quite a lot.

But some people were willing to work at the club and were determined not to go to Steel City, because their understanding of the sea was that if you went, you wouldn't come back.

"We don't count on that!"

Zhao Lao Si also envied the little bastard who came back to eat and drink, but he had his own plans.

While pulling his younger brother toward the gatehouse, he said, "Think about it. If this place officially opens for business, wages will have to be paid. We started with the club; there will definitely be a place for us brothers in the future. You want me to leave at this time? Grandma! I'd rather bring my own food and keep working!"

"Right~ right~ right~ Brother, you are really smart!"

Zhao Lao Wu nodded and said, "You will definitely become a great success in the future!"

"What were you saying to him?"

Li Xuewu turned his head and saw Li Xue walking slowly, so he stopped to wait for her. After she came over, he asked, especially since the Zhao brothers were whispering there.

Li Xue didn't look behind her. After catching up with her second brother, she frowned and said, "I wanted to ask how they are humble."

After speaking, she raised her head to look at her second brother and said with difficulty, "But they said I am more humble than them."

"Haha~"

Li Xuewu put his arm around his sister's shoulder and walked toward the sports area, saying as they walked, "My sister can now learn and ask questions; isn't that just being more humble than them?"

Li Xue raised her eyebrows and asked, "Really?"

If that was the case, she was a bit happy, but when she thought of her own complacency just now, she couldn't help but hold back her laughter.

Li Xuewu didn't tease her anymore. A young girl's thoughts are like this; she's at the age where she cares about others' gazes. It's better for her to experience the ways of the world herself.

He signaled for her to hurry and change into sportswear, and he also went to the locker room to change clothes.

The club's exclusive style of sportswear had long been designed, more than sixty sets, which were put into the lockers in the locker room here.

Li Xuewu changed his clothes, locked the locker, and walked out carrying his ping pong paddle.

Li Xue was a bit slower, and he didn't wait. Hu Xianjin was playing on the ping pong court. Seeing Li Xuewu come over, he wiped the sweat from his head and gave up his spot to him.

"What time is it, and you're sweating so much? Is your body weak?"

Li Xuewu was also bad; someone gave him a spot, and he still teased him. After standing by the table, he signaled for the opponent to serve, and they started playing.

Hu Xianjin drank a few big gulps of water, slumped in the chair, and said indignantly, "Who's like you? You don't come once in ten days or half a month, while we come early every day to exercise."

As he spoke, he signaled to Old Liu on the opposite side not to hold back and to hit Li Xuewu hard.

Old Liu, however, smiled and didn't get serious. He knew Li Xuewu's skills weren't bad. If he took Hu Xianjin's provocation and angered Li Xuewu, it would be he himself who would be uncomfortable.

If ping pong is played for exercise, it's much simpler. Based on their skills, they don't even need to pick up the ball and can keep playing.

Don't look at the ping pong court as small, and the movements as not big, but the exercise effect is not bad at all. People with average physical strength really can't hold on.

Li Xuewu had a big build and fierce strength. Old Liu on the opposite side was a deputy section chief of the Xicheng Bureau, nearly forty years old. He couldn't hold on after playing for more than ten minutes.

"My turn!"

Hu Xianjin, who had rested well, took over, tossed the ball to Li Xuewu, but asked, "What's going on with your Security Brigade?"

"Don't know, not a single piece of news."

Li Xuewu didn't hesitate, and his answer was very steady, without any loopholes.

Hu Xianjin curled his lip. He believed Li Xuewu's ghost; if there was really no news, would he have the confidence to come play ping pong?

However, he was also used to Li Xuewu's cautious personality. This was someone who wouldn't scatter the eagle until he saw the rabbit. Asking him to say something in advance was like wanting his life.

"What about in the Rolling Mill?"

Hu Xianjin returned the ball, glanced at Li Xuewu, and asked, "The work team has left; your work must be much easier to do, right?"

"What about you guys? Has the work team withdrawn too?"

Li Xuewu didn't answer his question but asked one back. He knew the one at the Xicheng Bureau had withdrawn; there was no reason for Hu Xianjin's not to have withdrawn.

Hu Xianjin shook his head and said, "Withdrawn, but I estimate they'll have to come again, maybe."

While the two of them were talking here, quite a few people were already standing and watching, and also listening to their conversation.

Li Xuewu was the leader of the club, and his words sometimes represented certain changes in form.

However, it was still early, and Li Xuewu said very little, only chatting one sentence at a time when Hu Xianjin asked.

By the time Sister Lou found him, he had already been playing for more than an hour, and he was sweating.

He gave the table to someone else, glanced at Li Xue, who was playing badminton inside, and simply didn't bother with her. He took a towel to wipe his sweat and went to the management office.

Sister Lou first handed him a hot towel, then brewed a cup of hot tea, and waited for him to rest for a while before asking worriedly, "Still no news from my father's side?"

"How many days has it been?"

Li Xuewu looked at the calendar on the wall. A week hadn't even passed. Did she really think this was taking a plane to Hong Kong?

"They have to take a train, go to Yangcheng, and then go to the other side through the port. Not to mention the time on the road, the necessary procedures won't be few either."

"Will there be danger?"

Sister Lou knew she was worried and confused, but she couldn't help stamping her feet. She knew Li Xuewu had come, so she went to find him; she wouldn't have been like this before.

Li Xuewu didn't answer directly, but said, "You know Ji Weidong's background. His father handled the procedures. Normally, there won't be any problems."

As he spoke, he pointed at Sister Lou and said, "You will also have to take this path when you go over in the future. You'll know then. There might be some twists and turns, but the Ji family won't joke about their own son."

Sister Lou nodded, sat on the single sofa, covered her face with both hands, and said in a low voice, "I hope everything goes well for Dad."

Li Xuewu looked at her and asked thoughtfully, "Have you ever thought that once he goes, he won't come back?"

"What?"

Sister Lou raised her head, a slight look of astonishment on her face, then narrowed her eyes and asked, "You suspect my father?"

"I suspect you and me, let alone your father."

Li Xuewu shrugged his shoulders very openly and said, "The flower-laden world on the other side is mesmerizing~"

"I'll fight you to the death! You heartless thing!" ===== CHAPTER 777 =====