Chapter 854: Raising Pigs for Three Years

You stand on the bridge watching the scenery,

The person watching the scenery stands on the balcony watching you.

The bright moon decorates your window,

You decorate someone else's dream.

——Modern poet Bian Zhilin's "Fragment".

You sing and dance on the stage,

The person watching the singing and dancing watches you from the shadows.

The lights brighten your smile,

You shatter someone else's dream.

——Modern "corpse-poet" Zhao Weidong's "Breathless".

The program was gradually drawing to a close, and Zhou Miaomiao's dance moves on stage remained nimble.

Her gaze frequently drifted toward the leadership seating in the front row; that was where the true scenery in her heart sat.

She no longer remembered who Zhao Weidong was; that boy who had once skated with her at the ice rink, the big brother she had once admired, had now become blurred and indistinct in her heart.

What if he really stood before her?

Irrelevant!

She no longer played those childish games like ice skating; she wanted to play something more sophisticated.

As the final song ended, thunderous applause erupted, and Zhou Miaomiao, along with the other performers, went on stage to bow and express their thanks.

A trace of smugness flashed in her eyes; she knew her performance had won the audience's favor and had also attracted the attention of the leaders.

Seeing Wang Yajuan's success today, she had already made up her mind that she must seize this opportunity to make her own future brighter.

When the show ended, Zhou Miaomiao did not rush to leave, but instead, along with several companions, took the initiative to walk toward the leadership seating where Li Huai De and Li Xuewu were.

They were polite and smiling, using all their charm and wit, hoping to leave a deep impression on them.

"Director Li, Deputy Secretary Li, the attendance of you two leaders tonight has brought us great honor. We hope you enjoyed our performance." Zhou Miaomiao's voice was soft and sincere.

Li Xuewu nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over Zhou Miaomiao's face without lingering too long.

But Li Huai De's attitude remained cordial: "Your performance was very brilliant; it added much color to the evening party."

Zhou Miaomiao had felt a bit disappointed when the Deputy Secretary didn't react, but upon hearing Director Li's praise, her heart suddenly filled with joy.

Her efforts had not been in vain; the leaders' recognition was of great significance to her goals.

She and her companions exchanged a smug look, and Han Lu, having received her signal, also took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Li Huai De.

Being able to build a good relationship with leaders was of great benefit to their future development; they didn't need to be taught this, they already knew it.

Li Xuewu was indeed impressed by Zhou Miaomiao's performance, but he had no intention of interacting with the performers.

Especially after discovering the subtle, meaningful hint in Zhou Miaomiao's gaze, he wanted even less to have any involvement with them.

Li Xuewu hadn't paid much attention to these girls during that time at the ice rink; they were all young men and women, and it was natural for them to have budding romantic feelings and compete for attention.

However, in the workplace, if one showed an excessive pursuit of and desire for power, that was a dangerous signal.

When women pursue power, if they lose control, their methods are nothing more than that one kind.

Li Xuewu had seen too many such women; even if they were truly Li Kezhang Songying, it was nothing more than seeking a living.

But if their ambitions were raised infinitely, when would it ever end?

Without a head, once a person's desires are unleashed, it becomes a Pandora's box.

There is an old saying: "A prostitute has no heart, an actor has no loyalty," which refers to these people.

Born into poor families, they had humble origins and grew up in the mud; if they were lucky, they could only become low-class actors relying on attracting attention to make a living.

But stage performance gave them the opportunity to see the brilliance of the upper class, and it also raised their ambitions.

Once they climbed to the clouds, they could no longer look down on the people in the mud, which is why the heartless psychology and appearance would emerge.

Isn't it the same in later generations? Girls from ordinary families see the glitz and glamour of big cities and become ambitious.

They even despise their own families and backgrounds, determined to package themselves, wanting to squeeze into high society, become stars, make big money, and marry the wealthy.

But what is the result?

Since ancient times, beauties have had short lives; who pities the fragrance that fades and the jade that shatters!

You enter the game with your beauty, and what others see is also your beauty, not you as a person.

There is another old saying: "Since ancient times, beauties are like famous generals; they are not allowed to be seen with white hair in the world."

When beauty is gone, the world is heartless.

In the end, they live to become a certain concubine, a certain bitch, a certain princess.

Even "princess" has become a derogatory term; one can imagine how much this society looks down on those who enter the game with their beauty.

Either they return to the countryside covered in scars and exhaustion to go on blind dates and marry an honest man.

Or they live in misery in cold cities, waiting for that rejected love.

Li Xuewu did not want to be a savior, and he certainly wouldn't do the stupid thing of advising a technician to take the postgraduate entrance exam; what he could do was stay away from these "vines."

Now you know why they call these girls "vines" in the capital, right?

You are a big tree, and they cling to you; once they discover you are just a small tree, their eyes look upward, and they will go find a taller tree.

Li Huai De dared to play because he had a heart that could cut vines.

Playing is fine, but if it gets real, he dares to tell you what a good, family-oriented man he is.

Precisely because they didn't get a response from Li Xuewu, Li Huai De became the target of "hunting" by Zhou Miaomiao, Han Lu, and others.

He watched Li Huai De happily pretend to be prey, his gaze sweeping over these little foxes, perhaps already deciding in his heart whether to steam or boil them.

Actually, standing outside the situation and thinking about it is quite interesting; watching flowers bloom and fall, clouds roll and unfurl, is that not also a kind of self-contentment?

When the song ends and people disperse, it's all a dream; when the prosperity fades, it's all empty.

Even the most beautiful stage has a time for the curtain to fall; the progressive teachers and students discussed the program just now, either walking out as the show ended or returning to the hotel to rest.

Li Xuewu and Li Huai De also walked out, accompanied by the person in charge.

He seemed to have forgotten something; it seemed there were still some people who had said the harshest words but were now suffering the most poisonous beatings.

Of course he remembered Seeing Wei Guo, Zhao Weidong, and the others, but in his eyes, these people were no longer on the same level as him.

They were no longer a part of his life; their ups and downs were meaningless to him, and his hands did not need to be stained with this dust.

If you want a dialogue or to be an opponent, then stand on the same level as me; otherwise, I don't even need to do it myself to beat you, so what's the point?

In the shadows of the Six Nations Hotel building, Zhao Weidong and the others knelt on the ground, their moods complex.

The security officer said that after this round of beatings, they would change shifts.

Yes, it was the security guards changing shifts, not the ones being beaten; they still had to continue being beaten.

The officer said that this kind of pain on the body is only temporary; he wanted these people to remember this pain so that whenever they thought of being naughty in the future, they would feel the pain.

How painful must that be!

They were now fish on a chopping block, having completely fallen into the control of others; their fate at this moment was no longer decided by themselves.

When being beaten, Zhao Weidong and Seeing Wei Guo had a momentary eye contact; their eyes were full of helplessness and grief, but they dared not show any resistance.

Zhao Weidong looked up at the stage, where the light had already gone out, and Zhou Miaomiao's figure had long since disappeared.

Today, what he lost was not just face, but also his butt, and his youth.

"Walk! What are you waiting for!"

Yuan Jun was talking to Zheng Tong; the program was over, and they were preparing to go back.

But when he turned his head, he found Zhong Yuemin still standing on the sidelines, his gaze wandering between the annex building and the courtyard, not looking like he was in a hurry to leave.

"Hey! You really are stubborn!"

Yuan Jun walked to Zhong Yuemin's side, amused, and patted his shoulder: "Forget it, they've already entered the hotel and will probably stay here tonight; are you going to wait all night?"

"This is called unwavering devotion!"

Zhong Yuemin first corrected Yuan Jun's wrong choice of words, then smiled and said: "Although the performance on stage is over, my story with these girls has just begun."

He emphasized with a bit of rogue-like attitude: "They are all good sons and daughters from all over the country; I want to get to know them, to understand their dreams and pursuits."

"Hey!"

Zhong Yuemin widened his eyes and said half-seriously: "I even want to understand their troubles and confusion, to move forward and improve together on the path of seeking answers."

"Hey!"

Zheng Tong looked Zhong Yuemin up and down and teased: "Not bad, Yuemin, you've raised the act of picking up girls to a certain height!"

"Hahaha!"

Yuan Jun laughed: "Still moving forward and improving; their trouble and confusion is not knowing which one to choose!"

"What about you?!"

He poked Zhong Yuemin and said: "Your confusion is choosing which one has the greatest possibility of failure!"

"We still don't know about yours!"

Zheng Tong teased: "Seeing one and loving one, saying it's true love to whoever you see!"

"Go, go, go! You are slandering an excellent comrade!"

Zhong Yuemin didn't care at all and said: "I am dedicating my limited energy to the unlimited service of the people!"

"Forget it!"

Yuan Jun curled his lips and said amusedly: "Serving the people? Serving the girls, you mean!"

They were all classmates and young people, at the age most fond of laughing and joking; mockery and teasing among little brothers were the main melody.

Pei Pei, Ou Xin, and others came out of the courtyard one after another; some lived nearby, and after saying goodbye, they pushed their bicycles and left.

While Zhou Xiaobai and the others, who lived far away, stood at the entrance, talking about the performance just now.

Zhong Yuemin seized the opportunity and walked toward where they were.

He wanted to create a chance encounter or a topic to strike up a conversation, but the moment he was about to speak, he discovered that the girls seemed not to have noticed his existence at all.

Their gazes swept lightly over him without a trace of lingering, as if he were just a speck of dust in the air.

A sense of loss surged in Zhong Yuemin's heart, but he didn't show it and still took the initiative to walk up and greet them.

"Hello, my name is Zhong Yuemin, from Yuying."

"Oh, oh, hello, hello."

Seeing him come over to greet them, Zhou Xiaobai nodded and responded along with Luo Yun.

Then the two looked at each other and asked at the same time: "Your friend?"

After hearing the other's answer, both shook their heads and replied: "Don't know him!"

Seeing the suspicious looks from both of them again, Zhong Yuemin's smile stiffened.

"I just saw you fighting the bad elements; I'm really proud of you. Sure enough, heroines don't let men off, I'm very impressed."

"So that's it!"

Luo Yun's brain was very sharp; she wasn't a silly girl like Xiaobai who would respond to anyone who struck up a conversation.

"You saw us being bullied just now?"

"That..."

Zhong Yuemin suddenly discovered that the topic he had chosen to cut in with didn't seem very appropriate.

"I really wanted to rush up and help at the time, really!"

He raised his hand seriously as if to swear and said: "I even pulled out a steel cable, but before I could rush up, the security guards came out."

"Ah~~!"

Luo Yun raised her eyebrows and asked: "So, you aren't even as fast as the security guards' reaction!"

"I..."

Zhong Yuemin felt a sense of being thwarted when facing the sharp-tongued Luo Yun.

He had been watching here and knew that the security guards hadn't even thought about intervening in the conflict between these people at the beginning.

According to Luo Yun's meaning, if he had the heart to help, how could he be slower than the security guards?

"I really wanted to help; it was my two classmates who were afraid I would be in danger..."

"Alright, alright."

Luo Yun waved her hand impatiently and asked: "What do you want?"

She pulled Zhou Xiaobai back and said: "If you have something to say, say it; if not, go do what you need to do! Don't delay us waiting for someone."

When they were talking at the entrance, Zuo Jie and Sha Qizhi walked out of the courtyard.

There were still faint traces on Zuo Jie's clothes, which were from rubbing on the ground during the fight just now.

This kid hadn't been a good thing since he was a child and knew how to protect himself in a fight.

Especially since he had been beaten many times, he could always dodge those fatal blows at critical moments.

There were many moves, for example: the harrier flips, the blind man touches the elephant, the donkey rolls...

Sha Qizhi sent them out and originally wanted to arrange for security to send them back, but Zuo Jie insisted on not leaving immediately and waited at the entrance for Li Xuewu to appear.

It didn't take long; just as they came out, Li Xuewu, accompanying Li Huai De, also came out.

Li Xuewu first said a few words to Li Huai De, sent him off in the car, and then turned to look at Sha Qizhi, who had walked to his side.

Sha Qizhi first reported the handling of the matter, then spoke of the check-up situation of Zuo Jie and the others, as well as their wish to wait for Li Xuewu to come out.

Li Xuewu's gaze swept over the waiting people and finally landed on Zuo Jie.

He waved at them, signaling them to come over.

Zuo Jie walked to Li Xuewu's front with some trepidation and apologized with a red face.

Li Xuewu didn't let him say this, but asked about his situation.

Seeing Li Xuewu, Zuo Jie naturally wouldn't hold anything back and told the whole story from beginning to end.

After listening, Li Xuewu's expression didn't change much; he just nodded lightly, indicating that he already understood the situation.

"You guys, today's matter ends here."

"In the future, use your brains more when doing things; is face more important or is life more important?" Li Xuewu's voice was calm and majestic; his words contained both reproach and care.

Hearing this, the big stone in the hearts of Zuo Jie, Ou Xin, and the others finally landed.

Li Xuewu didn't make things difficult for them, nor did he blame them for causing trouble at the event; there was only care and comfort.

"Scared me to death~"

Zhou Xiaobai patted her chest, looking like she was still scared, and acted like a spoiled child to Li Xuewu.

Luo Yun also leaned over and chattered: "We didn't provoke them; a group of people bullied us few, really hateful!"

"Exactly, exactly!"

Zhou Xiaobai followed Luo Yun's words and said: "I said I would go up and help Brother Zuo, and that fist almost hit my face!"

"Hee hee~"

Luo Yun had just said she was scared, but hearing Zhou Xiaobai's words, she giggled: "With our small stature, we would have been bounced back if we rushed up!"

This place at the entrance, which had been desolate after the crowd dispersed, had a bit of vitality again because of the chattering of the two little girls.

Li Xuewu listened to the two "claiming credit" with a smile, seeing that they also had dust on them, and that Zuo Jie and the others were also nodding with smiles, he knew they were telling the truth.

Regardless of the little girls' thoughts of claiming credit with him, the fact that they dared to rush up with Pei Pei to help after Zuo Jie was bullied made Li Xuewu approve of them.

Pei Pei and Ou Xin hadn't taken these two little followers who came to the club to eat and drink as anything serious before; they were just what they looked like when they were young.

But the experience just now made them accept from the bottom of their hearts the fact that the two had integrated into this small circle.

As long as there is this courage to share weal and woe, the quality of the person themselves won't be bad.

Especially "big sisters" like Pei Pei and Ou Xin, they like such little sisters even more.

Although Zhou Xiaobai's eyes were full of Li Ge, wishing she could rush into Li Ge's arms for a hug right now, they still looked at the two competing for praise with doting eyes.

Pei Pei, who led the fight, didn't mention her own credit, let alone how brave she was in helping Zuo Jie.

She didn't say it, but Luo Yun and Zhou Xiaobai praised how brave and fierce their big sisters were, and even dared to scratch those people; it was amazing!

Ou Xin and Pei Pei suddenly felt that the little sisters were no longer cute; why did they say everything!

They were gentle, generous, and good girls in front of Li Ge; it was fine to say they were brave, why mention they were fierce!

Seeing Li Ge's gaze looking over, Ou Xin's face turned red instantly.

And Pei Pei was even more extreme, directly reaching out to cover the two little mouths.

"Hehe~"

Li Xuewu watched the group playing and said with a light smile: "Let Zuo Jie treat you to a meal later; get something delicious, eat more!"

"No problem!"

Zuo Jie said heroically: "Tomorrow, tomorrow night, let's have a meal at Old Mo's! Hiss~"

He raised his hand to make a heroic gesture, but it was a bit too big, pulling the place where he was punched, and he couldn't help but hiss.

Seeing the smile on his face distorted by pain, Ou Xin said amusedly: "Save it, get your body well first!"

"Exactly!"

Pei Pei pretended to be dissatisfied and scolded: "With this small stature, what kind of hero are you acting like? You even let us leave first; if we had left, wouldn't you have died here!"

"They even took out knives, and you just used your fists?"

She widened her eyes and said: "I'll get my dad's officer sword for you to defend yourself later, let's see who dares to move against you."

"Forget it."

Zuo Jie knew she was joking, but still smiled bitterly: "Carrying a sword out, people would think I'm a big fool!"

After saying this, he looked at Li Xuewu and explained seriously: "I still remember what Wu Ge said to me; in the future, my hands won't hold knives, only pens and money."

"Heh~"

Li Xuewu smiled and gave him a light slap, saying: "I don't remember saying such things!"

Hahahaha~

Seeing Zuo Jie's embarrassment, everyone laughed out loud.

Li Xuewu patted his shoulder and urged: "It's late today; go to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow morning so I can be at ease."

After saying this, he gave instructions to Pei Pei and the others: "You too; remember the lesson from today's matter, don't think too much, go home and rest."

"Qizhi."

Li Xuewu called Sha Qizhi, who was standing on the side, and asked: "Everyone is arranged, right?"

"Yes."

Sha Qizhi replied: "Everything is arranged; they will be sent home."

"Mm."

Li Xuewu nodded and said to the group: "Go, go home, have a good rest."

Ou Xin and the others nodded, each went to get their bicycles, and left accompanied by security.

When Zuo Jie left, he pointed to Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun, who were still standing on the side, and said: "Wu Ge, they came in our car, I..."

He gestured to his arms and legs, indicating that it was difficult for him to ride a bicycle now, so the matter of sending people had to trouble Li Xuewu.

The driver had already parked the command vehicle on the side of the road and was waiting for Li Xuewu.

He also saw that Li Xuewu had a car and saw Zhou Xiaobai's thoughts, so he was doing a favor.

Zhou Xiaobai meant just that; she was very afraid that he would call the two of them to get into their car, so she stopped chattering and lowered her head, acting like a quail.

Seeing Zuo Jie say this, she was pleasantly surprised and looked at Zuo Jie with some embarrassment.

Zuo Jie winked at her, and everything was understood without words.

Li Xuewu looked at the appearance of the group, nodded with a smile, and urged Zuo Jie to be careful on the road.

Then he waved at Zhou Xiaobai and the two, signaling them to get in the car.

Zhou Xiaobai had joy and excitement on her face, pulled Luo Yun, and ran to the car.

Especially when choosing a seat, she pushed Luo Yun to get in first; she wanted to sit in the middle!

Zhong Yuemin stood in place and raised his hand; he still wanted to greet the girls, but didn't expect the girls to disperse.

The night grew deeper, and the crowd dispersing became sparse.

Zhong Yuemin still stood in place; his gaze seemed to penetrate the night, looking at the departing car, looking further away.

Don't go! Don't take my heart away~

What Zhou Xiaobai took away was not just Zhong Yuemin's heart, but also someone else's.

"What are you looking at? Everyone's gone!"

"Ah? Oh!"

Zhang Haiyang stood there, craning his neck to look in the direction the car left, stunned, not even noticing Li Yuanchao coming over to greet him.

Li Yuanchao also saw the scene just now, but he hadn't dared to move.

They waited until this time without leaving, wasn't it just to see all the details of this matter clearly? This would be a resource later.

He didn't know the girl who got in the car, but he had found out the identity of that young cadre.

Li Yuanchao walked to Zhang Haiyang's side very understandingly, patted his shoulder, and said: "Don't think about it, that's Li Erbala from the Dongcheng."

"Who?"

Zhang Haiyang frowned and looked at him, asking: "Which courtyard is he from? Why haven't I heard of him?"

"From the Sihe Academy!"

"Hahahaha!"

Li Yuanchao was amused by the question Zhang Haiyang asked, laughed out loud, supported his shoulder, and explained: "He's not someone from our circle; he's a senior figure among the 'Wan Zhu' (tough guys)."

He explained while putting his arm around his shoulder and walking toward the entrance.

"His experience can be called legendary; he is the most respected leading figure among the current tough guys, an existence like a patriarch."

"Known as the model of getting ahead, a fierce god who kills without blinking."

Li Yuanchao looked at Zhang Haiyang's nervousness and emphasized with a smile: "But don't worry, his rank is high now, he doesn't kill easily anymore."

"..."

Hearing this, Zhang Haiyang almost fell over, looked at Li Yuanchao speechlessly, and wanted to remind him whether he should think about what he had just said!

What the hell is "doesn't kill easily anymore"!

Li Yuanchao also saw his suspicion, raised his eyebrows, and said seriously: "My news is never fake; I say it as it is."

"He was a deputy director at the Jiaodaokou police station, a deputy division chief at the branch bureau, and is now a deputy regiment commander in the Garrison District."

Zhang Haiyang was stunned; what kind of progressive trajectory is this!

The key is that looking at his age, he isn't very old, and he's already a deputy regiment commander?!

Li Yuanchao tilted his head and said: "Think about why he progressed so fast?"

Without waiting for Zhang Haiyang to ask, he explained on his own: "When he was on the front line before, he sent more than a dozen people to the Xishan execution ground every month; there are probably more than two hundred with statistics."

"Are you fucking serious?!"

Zhang Haiyang was scared, his footsteps paused, and he stood there looking at Li Yuanchao suspiciously.

Is this fucking human?

"You can doubt me, but you can't doubt my news!"

Li Yuanchao said seriously with confidence in his smile: "He is a criminal investigation expert registered in the system and has even written books on solving cases; current grassroots criminal investigation is learning his case-handling methods."

"You can find out about the few famous big cases if you go to Dongcheng to inquire; Seeing Wei Guo's brother was handled by him."

Li Yuanchao emphasized: "At that time, the Wei family begged many people, but it was useless; do you know why?"

"What?"

Zhang Haiyang's face was a bit ugly; that was the girl he loved.

"One is because he handled the case iron-clad, and it couldn't be overturned."

Li Yuanchao counted with his fingers and said: "The second is because his father-in-law is called Gu Haitao."

"Who is Gu... Holy shit!?"

Zhang Haiyang's surprised tone even had a bend; one can see how surprised he was.

Li Yuanchao nodded, confirming it was exactly who he was surprised about.

"So, there are fragrant grasses everywhere in the world, why be obsessed with one flower, and it's someone else's flower."

He comforted Zhang Haiyang: "The key is that you are the falling flower with intention, but the water is heartless; there are plenty of girls, right!"

"No~"

Zhang Haiyang's voice said a bit low: "I just saw a classmate."

Li Yuanchao smiled and didn't continue to tangle with him on this issue.

"It's best if it's not; I was still worried you'd get hurt."

Li Yuanchao patted his shoulder and said: "Dongcheng is our territory, but Jiaodaokou is excluded; that place is very evil!"

He said seriously: "If you can not go there, don't go; it's not just one or two who have been broken there."

"Alright~"

Li Yuanchao looked at Zhang Haiyang's disappointed expression, smiled, put his arm around his shoulder, and signaled to continue walking forward.

"Come, let me introduce you to a few good friends; they are also people in our circle..."

Why did Li Huai De drag Li Xuewu to watch the program?

Because he had no bottom in his heart, not only no bottom for those little brats, but also no bottom for the current situation.

In the evening, while watching the program, he made small talk to explore Li Xuewu's attitude toward the editorial article in today's news.

Li Xuewu still remembered that there was a trace of worry in his voice that was hard to hide.

Of course, Li Huai De asked, and he couldn't not answer, but he didn't tell him everything.

At least not like he did with Dong Wenxue and Xu Si.

After all, when he asked, he already had subjective thoughts and attitudes; asking Li Xuewu was just to add a layer of insurance.

Li Xuewu is so bad, a master of success studies, most fond of creating worry and selling anxiety.

Li Huai De is the horse he harnessed to the cart; usually, a carrot has to be hung in front of the horse's head, and a whip has to be given from time to time behind.

Now that this horse is working on its own, shouldn't he add pressure to the other party?

Otherwise, why would Xu Si say Li Xuewu is bad to the bone!

Li Huai De is anxious, but he just says cool words.

He answered Li Huai De: "You've seen more of these storms than I have; as for the things in the article, I see half as true and half as false, don't take it too much to heart."

Li Huai De is a suspicious character by nature; seeing Li Xuewu say this, the worry in his heart grew even greater.

Bad people always worry about being harmed by others!

Recalling that time, Li Huai De sighed, the worry between his brows like the shadow of clouds in late autumn, hard to dispel.

He expressed that he knew he shouldn't worry too much, but some of the problems mentioned in that article did indeed touch the nerves of many people.

"Just afraid..."

His words were not finished, and Li Xuewu took over the conversation very understandingly: "Just afraid that this storm will affect the Steel Mill? I also have this concern."

Li Huai De nodded, a trace of luck flashing in his eyes: "Fortunately, with your reminder at the beginning, we didn't get close to the working group in the previous stage."

"And even less did we get close to Secretary Yang; we insisted on our own work route and carried out a series of necessary self-reforms."

Li Huai De looked at Li Xuewu and said: "Only today can one see who the true heroes are; the era has chosen us!"

Li Xuewu's gaze was very firm, and his tone carried a power that was hard to shake: "This is precisely the embodiment of your wise leadership!"

He discussed with Li Huai De: In this era, reform is the eternal theme; only by constantly adapting to changes can one remain invincible.

Now, the most important thing is still to grasp production.

Production is the foundation of the enterprise and also the cornerstone for both of them to stand on.

As long as the Steel Mill's production is stable, efficiency is improved, and quality is superior, even if the storm is bigger, they can stand firm.

A glimmer of light flashed in Li Huai De's eyes; he understood Li Xuewu's meaning: "You mean, no matter how the wind and clouds outside change, as long as we focus on the dialectical relationship between development and reform, we can maintain stability?"

"Exactly!"

Li Xuewu nodded in affirmation: "Stand on the present, take production as the foundation, grasp the rhythm of production and reform, and walk every step steadily."

Li Huai De looked at him deeply, his eyes full of trust: "Xuewu, with you here, I am at ease."

"Let's work together; the future Steel Mill is ours, and it is also yours."

Li Xuewu would be a fool to believe him!

The Steel Mill will never be yours!

This old thing has also learned to sell success studies, and it's the kind that draws big cakes on the spot.

Li Xuewu wouldn't buy his act; he would turn around and feed him a bowl of chicken soup instead!

In the car on the way back, Sha Qizhi sat in the passenger seat, Zhou Xiaobai sat in the middle, and on both sides of her were Li Xuewu and Luo Yun.

Luo Yun naturally knew Zhou Xiaobai's thoughts, so she didn't fight for the middle seat when getting in the car.

And watching Zhou Xiaobai frequently look at Li Xuewu from the side, wanting to look but not daring to, sitting there with her body a bit stiff.

She also felt sorry for her little sister, and while the car was turning, she deliberately bumped into Zhou Xiaobai.

Zhou Xiaobai was sitting next to Li Xuewu and was already a bit unstable; now she fell into his arms all at once.

Li Xuewu didn't notice Luo Yun's little trick and thought Zhou Xiaobai had really tilted.

"Did you bump into something?"

The road was a bit dark, the streetlights weren't very bright, and the car was even dimmer.

So when Zhou Xiaobai let out an "Aiya," he thought she had bumped into something.

Zhou Xiaobai was indeed bumped, but it was by Luo Yun; she felt it.

But at this moment, her face was red, and how could she explain it? She could only get up and glare at the little sister who was giggling beside her.

"No... nothing..."

Zhou Xiaobai's face had been burning since she got in the car; some of it was excitement, and some of it was shyness.

The shock absorption of the 212 jeep wasn't very good, and the road conditions were sometimes good and sometimes bad; she was next to Li Xuewu, how could they not touch.

Every touch made her face red, hot, and even her palms were sweaty.

Li Xuewu reached out to support her and moved to the side to give her more space.

There was a radio set between the front seats of the command vehicle, and Li Xuewu was afraid she wouldn't be comfortable sitting there.

Zhou Xiaobai felt Li Xuewu's movement and gently withdrew her hand.

That tilt just now, she seemed to have touched something, the kind of thing she didn't dare to think about.

Li Xuewu didn't say anything, so she pretended not to know, not to be clear...

Straightening her body, she reached out and secretly pinched Luo Yun to retaliate for her mischief just now.

Luo Yun leaned into her ear and whispered: "Quick! Say thank you!"

"Go away~"

Zhou Xiaobai hammered her shyly and looked at Li Xuewu with embarrassment, afraid he would hear.

Li Xuewu was thinking about things and didn't pay attention to the whispering between the little girls.

Zhou Xiaobai was attracted by his slightly furrowed brows and his side profile lost in thought in the dim light, and couldn't help but be a bit infatuated.

Sure enough, a man working seriously is the most charming!

"Are you looking at me?"

"Hehe~"

Even if Li Xuewu was thinking about things, his eyes were still good.

Zhou Xiaobai frequently peeked at him, how could he not see it.

This little girl's budding romantic feelings are a bit fierce; if she keeps looking like this, won't she make herself shy?!

Li Xuewu knew himself too well, a mature, steady, knowledgeable, and gentle young man with social anxiety.

Zhou Xiaobai was startled by Li Xuewu's sudden catch, and her face was burning hot.

"No... nothing."

She explained: "I... I'm looking at the scenery outside!"

Li Xuewu turned his head to look out the window; it was pitch black, and he couldn't see anything.

"This?!"

He pointed his finger out the window and asked amusedly: "Tell me, what scenery did you see?"

"I... won't tell you!"

Zhou Xiaobai covered her face and turned to look at Luo Yun's side; she was really too embarrassed to explain further to Li Xuewu.

Luo Yun was covering her mouth and laughing at first, but this time she couldn't help it: "Hahahaha!"

"Aiya~ what are you laughing at~"

Zhou Xiaobai pinched Luo Yun hard to stop her from laughing, laughing until she herself felt embarrassed.

Luo Yun was dodging and pushing Zhou Xiaobai, and she teased: "I'm looking at the scenery~ Hahaha~"

"Aiya! Stop laughing!"

Zhou Xiaobai couldn't stand being teased by her and hammered her hard, saying: "If you laugh again, I won't be friends with you!"

The biggest threat between young girls might be friendship, and only people at this age possess sincere friendship.

Li Xuewu watched them playing with a smile, as if he had returned to his own youth at sixteen or seventeen.

At that time, he also liked to play house with little sisters.

The real kind... playing house!

"Why are you wearing clothes like this?"

Seeing the two calm down, Li Xuewu pointed to their uniforms and asked: "Aren't they from the club?"

"Yes~ Yu Jie gave them!"

Luo Yun said with a smile: "We help out at the club, and Yu Jie gave us a set of these autumn clothes."

"I said I didn't want them..."

Zhou Xiaobai was afraid Li Xuewu would blame her, so she lowered her head and wanted to explain with embarrassment; seeing her lack of confidence again, Luo Yun secretly pinched her.

The two were really helping out at the club; Yu Jie said she gave them, and they were already wearing them, yet she was changing her mind now!

Among the little sisters who went to the club with Huang Gan to play, they were the only two who got the suits.

Because they basically went to the club to play every day, and ate their meals there.

No one said they couldn't enter, and no one said they couldn't eat; when they helped out, no one praised them either.

It was as if they were really treated as staff, and now even work uniforms were issued.

Of course, there was no salary; the most excellent and traditional skill in the club was—no salary!

Everyone gathers together to do business, realizing youth and ideals, rushing toward dreams and the future; how can they want youth!

Isn't the big cake fragrant!

Then have another bowl of chicken soup!

"You look very good in them!"

Li Xuewu nodded with a smile and praised, making Zhou Miaomiao's expression suddenly brighten.

"Really?!"

She looked up at Li Xuewu with some surprise and said: "I like this coat very much."

"Hehe, hard work brings rewards~"

Li Xuewu smiled, used one sentence to untie the knot in Zhou Xiaobai's heart, looked at her with a smile, and said half-seriously: "When you grow up a bit more, you'll look even more beautiful."

"I'm not small now!"

She straightened her back very seriously and emphasized: "Sixteen years old can join the army; I'm not a child!"

"Mm, indeed."

Li Xuewu pretended to look at her seriously and nodded: "I joined the army when I was sixteen."

"Mm, I heard."

Zhou Xiaobai nodded and said: "I admire you so much!"

She twisted her body toward Li Xuewu and said seriously: "My dad is... is working in the army."

Zhou Xiaobai finally had a common topic with Li Xuewu and wanted to say more, almost saying her father's position.

She covered it up slightly, then looked at Li Xuewu with burning eyes and said: "I heard you even went to the front line and made war merits; so brave! You are my role model!"

"Who told you that?"

Li Xuewu naturally knew Zhou Xiaobai's background; in the club circle, she was probably the only one who didn't know who her father was.

"They lied to you; I never went to the front line; raising pigs in the army for three years is the truth." ===== CHAPTER 855 =====

Li Xuewu naturally knew Zhou Xiaobai's background; in this club circle, she is probably the only one who doesn't know that others know who her father is.

"They are lying to you. I've never been to the front lines; raising pigs in the army for three years is the truth."