Chapter 897: Quite Sudden

"If I drink with him again, I'm a grandson!"

"You're a grandson!"

"... No... that's not right..."

Director Sun, supported by his secretary and driver, was being dragged outside, muttering nonsense, only to vomit again once he reached the car.

Right now, apart from the car, he wasn't holding onto anyone!

"Hic~!"

"Damn it... if I... if I drink with him again... I'm his grandson..."

Director Sun was already delirious, unable to even open his eyes, yet still brimming with indignation.

What could he do about his indignation? They had brought one chief, two deputies, plus an office deputy director, facing off against just Li Li Xuewu and Ao Ao Yuhua.

Yes, with Ao Ao Yuhua barely having drunk anything, their four people had been single-handedly defeated by Li Li Xuewu alone.

Director Sun was truly unconvinced; initially, he had insisted on stopping while ahead and drinking only until satisfied.

Later, that damn kid kept provoking them with his words; how could they tolerate that?

So they drank, and as they drank, they lost control, ending up drunk again.

One might lose the person but not the spirit; today at the drinking table, the phrase Li Li Xuewu kept repeating—"risking one's life to accompany a gentleman"—should have been spoken by him instead.

It was precisely because they couldn't match their opponent at the drinking table that today's negotiations lacked confidence.

With this round of drinking concluded, the Glass Factory was finished, completely wiped out.

All four were carried onto the vehicles by others, their inner resentment so strong it nearly forced the alcohol back up.

"Hic~"

As the three Jeeps departed the guesthouse courtyard, the sound of "Pour more wine!" could still be heard through the open windows.

"Are you really alright?"

Zhang Zhang Songying looked at the mess covering the ground, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

Turning back to look at Li Li Xuewu, she found him standing casually on the steps, grinning mischievously.

The duty waiter and security guards were fetching shovels to scoop up dirt and clean the courtyard, the scene utterly chaotic.

This scene formed a stark contrast with Li Li Xuewu, who stood with hands in his pockets, sighing at the loneliness of the martial world as if time were peaceful and still.

"How could they possibly be my match?"

Li Li Xuewu swept a disdainful gaze over the crowd, raised an eyebrow, and grinned wickedly: "They're all trash~"

"Be a good person!"

Zhang Zhang Songying couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth, chiding him irritably: "Not only did you get yourself drunk, but who would dare drink with you in the future?"

"Hmm, that's where you're mistaken."

Li Li Xuewu smiled as he walked down the steps; watching Han Han Jiankun park the car, he whispered to Zhang Zhang Songying: "That might be the last battle, but drinking will never have a last round."

"Get lost with you!"

Zhang Zhang Songying chided him lightly, then scanned the lobby; seeing Deputy Director Ao emerge, she actively went up the steps to meet her.

"I'm fine, didn't drink much."

Ao Ao Yuhua had just gone to the restroom; now walking down, she saw Li Li Xuewu standing in the courtyard and greeted Zhang Zhang Songying: "It seems Li Xuewu did quite a bit of drinking."

"Him? He's just a wine leak~"

Zhang Zhang Songying glanced over at Li Li Xuewu, then smiled brightly and exchanged a few words with Ao Ao Yuhua.

Li Li Xuewu pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit one for himself, and tossed the rest to the duty security guard.

"Thank you, Leader."

The security guard wasn't old, but his mouth was very sweet; especially when facing Li Li Xuewu, he worked with a smile never leaving his face.

As for Li Li Xuewu rewarding cigarettes, the Security Section had long grown accustomed to it.

But truly receiving cigarettes wasn't common, after all, Li Li Xuewu wasn't idle every day, wandering around aimlessly.

Only on occasions like tonight, or in relatively casual situations, would he toss out cigarettes.

Most were Zhang Daqian Sect; everyone in the Security Section knew the Leader loved smoking this brand.

Sometimes one might even encounter Chunghwa; anyway, the Leader was generous, pulling out whatever and tossing whatever.

Those who received the cigarettes naturally couldn't bear to smoke them immediately; they had to show them off for several days, wishing everyone in the entire section knew about it.

Tonight was just such an occasion; the Leader was hosting guests at the guesthouse, and with visitors encountering a slight mishap at the entrance, how could they not strive to perform well?

Of course, doing these things wouldn't earn any commendation, but the Leader rewarding cigarettes meant their efforts had been noticed by him.

These tasks were originally the waiters' job; what were they doing taking the initiative for?

Firstly, the Security Section collaborated with all key departments across the factory, especially in a location like the guesthouse, which required twenty-four-hour duty.

Being on someone else's turf, it was natural to build good relationships.

With a bit of work, everyone helped each other; if they took the initiative to reach out, the waiters would be polite in return later.

The security guards were young men, while the waiters were all pretty young Misses; you figure it out.

Secondly, with leaders from their own department actually present, taking the initiative to help was also a way to gain face.

Gaining face was better than losing it; just look at how the Glass Factory leaders lost face today!

"Where did all that alcohol go in you?"

Ao Ao Yuhua claimed she hadn't drunk much, yet today at the drinking table, the Zhagang Factory side consisted only of her and Li Li Xuewu.

Even if it was less, if not one jin, it was at least eight liang.

Her face was flushed, and especially with the late October evening breeze blowing, her skin appeared white with a hint of red.

When she first exited the lobby, she hadn't felt much, but this cool breeze made her feel slightly dizzy.

She sized up Li Li Xuewu, wanting to see whether the alcohol consumed earlier had actually gone into his stomach or somewhere else.

It was no wonder she was surprised; Li Li Xuewu had simply drunk far too much today.

A single round of toasts could finish off a cycle of drinks, leaving that talkative deputy factory director from the Glass Factory flushed and flustered.

"Where are you looking?"

Li Li Xuewu had, of course, truly had a few drops; otherwise, with no scent of wine on his breath, wouldn't the game be up?

Seeing Ao Ao Yuhua laughing and teasing, he deliberately twisted his body to prevent her from looking down at his lower half.

"I'm checking to see if you've already leaked out the bottom! Hahaha!"

The women who emerged from this agency dared to joke, especially in private and after a few drinks, when they dared to say anything.

Li Li Xuewu was not afraid of this in the least; pointing at the jeep, he said, "Since you already know, why not hurry and take me to your home to change my trousers!"

"Get out of here! Our family certainly doesn't have any trousers for you!"

Teased by Li Li Xuewu, Ao Ao Yuhua laughed and chided playfully, "Why don't you ask Director Zhang if she has any trousers?"

"Even if she did, she wouldn't let him wear them!"

Zhang Zhang Songying paid no heed to Ao Ao Yuhua's jest and teased with a smile, "Better yet, let him go home with you."

"If I'm going home, I'll drag you along with me!"

Ao Ao Yuhua was a few years older than Zhang Zhang Songying and dared to joke with such open colleagues.

Besides, she was neither blind nor deaf; to become the deputy director of the guesthouse, who would believe it had nothing to do with Li Li Xuewu's connections?

She had not explicitly stated that Zhang Zhang Songying had that kind of relationship with Li Li Xuewu, but what she was thinking in her heart, no one could know.

If she hadn't thought it, how could she have deliberately made that joke?

"Fine then~ you two sisters can sleep together tonight."

Li Li Xuewu pinched out his cigarette butt, waved his hand with a smile, and said, "It's nearly time; I must go home to keep my wife company."

"Hey, don't go yet."

Ao Ao Yuhua laughed and teased, "Take Zhang Songying with us; let's have another round."

"I wouldn't dare!"

Li Li Xuewu pulled open the car door, hopped into the jeep, and replied to her, "Don't think I don't know what your brother-in-law does; if I really took a fall, would you care about my face or not!"

He patted Han Han Jiankun's seat to signal him to drive, then waved to the two women again through the window, saying, "I'm off first; you two head back early as well!"

"Truly family-oriented~"

Ao Ao Yuhua watched the jeep depart with a smile, remarked to Zhang Zhang Songying, and then asked, "How are you getting back? Why not ride with me; I can drop you off first?"

"Why bother going back and forth? I'll just stay here for the night."

Zhang Zhang Songying saw her off to the car with a smile, speaking words of concern about honey water after drinking and dumpling soup early in the morning.

Ao Ao Yuhua had not interacted much with Zhang Zhang Songying in the past; they only became truly familiar after arriving at the Management Committee Office.

Speaking of which, the former Factory Office, now the Management Committee Office, was the direct supervisory unit of the guesthouse.

However, neither the former Xu Sinian nor the current Ding Yan Zigui had ever interfered in the guesthouse's affairs.

Everyone knew clearly that this was Li Li Xuewu's private domain; while official business could be conducted according to regulations, no one dared to meddle here.

Even Director Li rarely offered opinions here, taking care in every aspect to preserve Li Li Xuewu's face and mood.

Now that she and Li Li Xuewu were both working in the Management Committee Office, and since Qin Qin Huairu and Zhang Zhang Songying at the guesthouse were both adept at handling affairs, she naturally had to acknowledge this favor.

After getting into the car, Ao Ao Yuhua still held Zhang Zhang Songying's hand, instructing softly, "The leadership attaches great importance to the Liu Guo Hotel side; this is your opportunity, so you must seize it."

"Yes, I certainly will."

Zhang Zhang Songying nodded very seriously in agreement; this required no reminder from others, as she would naturally "seize" it very firmly.

The two exchanged a few more words before parting ways.

After seeing Ao Ao Yuhua off, Zhang Zhang Songying glanced at Tuanjie Lake, where white mist was drifting, and began walking back leisurely.

The weather had turned cool, yet the water of Tuanjie Lake retained some warmth, naturally forming clusters of white mist that looked strikingly beautiful under the evening lights.

With the help of the young men from the Security Section, the area at the entrance had already been cleaned up.

Zhang Zhang Songying signaled for everyone to hurry back inside, noting they were not dressed warmly enough and should avoid catching a cold.

Feng Juan came trotting out from the lobby; seeing that the crowd had already dispersed at the building entrance, she asked with regret, "Have the leaders all left?"

"They left just a short while ago~"

Zhang Zhang Songying glanced at her and asked, "What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

"Nothing~"

Feng Juan smiled and said, "It's just that since the leaders left, I didn't come out to see them off, which doesn't look good."

"You're overthinking it; everyone was drunk, and no one noticed that detail."

Zhang Zhang Songying patted her arm, signaling her to walk inside together, and said as they walked, "There's no need to be too deliberate; service work requires flexibility."

"Yes, I have much to learn from you."

Feng Juan had not been there long, only about half a month, and her arrival had been arranged at Li Li Xuewu's instruction.

Since she had originally worked in finance, Qin Qin Huairu had assigned her to handle internal affairs when dividing up the work.

This included the guesthouse's finances and logistics, along with familiarizing herself with service operations.

Zhang Zhang Songying had not been very familiar with her in the past, only seeing her once a month when collecting wages.

She had not expected that someone in finance could be so polite.

In her impression, the ugliest expressions in the world were those given by financial personnel, even worse than her mother-in-law's!

"Why aren't you asleep yet?"

When Li Li Xuewu arrived home, he noticed the window on the second floor was still lit.

The Old Lady had naturally already gone to sleep, so he dared not make a loud commotion and quietly ascended the stairs.

On the second floor, Gu Ning sat behind a desk practicing calligraphy; her belly was gradually growing larger, and standing for long periods made her waist ache.

In the past, she wrote little, and Li Li Xuewu had no idea what sudden whim had made her decide to practice calligraphy.

Placing the bag in his hand onto the tea table, he undressed while moving closer to the desk to examine the copybook his wife was writing in.

"This is written quite well; what style is it?"

"Have you been drinking?"

Gu Ning ignored his attempt to make conversation; seeing him approach with the smell of alcohol on his breath, she stopped the brush in her hand.

"Leaders from the Glass Factory came to discuss cooperation, so we hosted them for dinner."

Unbuttoning his shirt, Li Li Xuewu explained to Gu Ning, "I didn't drink much; if you don't believe me, take a sniff."

As he spoke, he leaned in to breathe on Gu Ning, causing her to roll her eyes in disgust at him.

"Mom called today."

"Is that so~"

Without Gu Ning needing to emphasize it, Li Li Xuewu knew the "Mom" she referred to was his mother-in-law.

"What did she say? Are both elders doing well?"

"Mm, she just said that eldest sister-in-law is pregnant."

Gu Ning stated today's phone call very calmly, then pushed herself up from the armrests of the round-backed chair.

"That's good news~"

Seeing her rise, Li Li Xuewu quickly reached out to support her, but noticing her legs were somewhat stiff, he froze for a moment before directly lifting her into a princess carry.

Gu Ning did not struggle, though her face turned somewhat red; she still found this form of intimacy somewhat difficult to accept.

It wasn't that a married couple expecting a child couldn't be intimate.

This wasn't shyness, but the surprise of love.

Gu Ning was accustomed to traditional forms of intimacy, but Li Li Xuewu would occasionally pull one of these "tricks" on her.

It seemed she had seen this kind of Princess carry in novels and had once fantasized that one day she too could possess such love.

It was just that love had arrived suddenly, leaving her a little excited and unaccustomed to it~

"Did she say how many months?"

After placing Gu Ning on the bed, Li Li Xuewu reached back to draw the curtains while asking about the situation with his elder brother-in-law.

Gu Ning pulled the quilt over herself, loosened the hair at the back of her head, and said in a calm tone, "About three months; Mom said everything is going well."

"Hehe, did Mom scold you?"

Li Li Xuewu glanced back at Gu Ning; looking at her like this, she had surely been lectured by her mother again.

Gu Ning said nothing, curling up to lie under the covers, her gaze fixed on Li Li Xuewu's face as she simply watched him.

"It's alright; who isn't a wife for the first time, and who isn't a mother for the first time~"

Sitting by the bedside, Li Li Xuewu gently patted her back and comforted her, "Just listen with a mindset of learning; Mom is just too far away and anxious."

"Mm."

Gu Ning agreed softly, pressing her lips together slightly; it seemed she still cared somewhat.

Since she didn't speak, Li Li Xuewu didn't know exactly what his mother-in-law had said, but he could roughly guess.

It was nothing more than advice on nurturing the pregnancy: exercise more, read less, talk more, or perhaps asking why she hadn't written letters or called her parents.

Gu Ning truly could endure; as long as Li Li Xuewu had made a call or told her about his parents' situation, she could go on without writing letters or initiating calls herself.

It wasn't that she didn't care, nor was it a lack of filial piety; she simply thought simply and lived simply, unwilling to engage in even a shred of hollow pretense.

Li Li Xuewu understood her, so he was tolerant of her and cared for her to the greatest extent possible.

If Gu Ning was unwilling to make long-distance calls or speak those meaningless words of concern, then he would do it, he would say them.

When they were in Yangcheng, he had called his mother-in-law's side, not only to discuss Third Aunt's matters but also to express concern for the two elders.

After returning, he had been busy with work and hadn't yet found time to call, which was why his mother-in-law's call came today.

When a child travels a thousand miles, the mother worries; with such distance between them and Gu Ning now pregnant, how could a mother not be concerned?

Since Gu Ning wouldn't take the initiative, her mother had to; hearing no concern from her daughter, she inevitably had to say a few extra words.

When the mother and daughter were together, they never "fought tactics" like this; now, however, both ends were fraught with emotional tension.

Actually, Li Li Xuewu didn't know that during today's call, his mother-in-law had also expressed disdain for him by association.

It wasn't anything else; naturally, this son-in-law was good in every way, except that he had no demands regarding Gu Ning and spoiled her too severely.

Which family's wife stays home sunbathing every day without going out for a walk? Even if she says she doesn't visit neighbors, surely there should be visits to relatives.

When a couple lives life together, how can they keep accommodating each other like this forever? Ding Ding Fengxia was anxious for both of them.

She wasn't afraid of anything else; she just feared her daughter would remain isolated her whole life, and that one day her son-in-law would lose patience and grow weary—what then?

By that time, could she and Gu Gu Haitao make decisions, or could they mediate reconciliation?

By then, whether the two of them would even be alive was uncertain; which family lives their daily life like a romance novel?

When Ding Ding Fengxia scolded Li Li Xuewu over the phone, she was actually teaching her daughter a lesson, just taking an indirect route.

Gu Ning had clearly taken some of it in, but not much; the rest had gone in one ear and out the other.

She now only remembered her mother's words: "When he's old, will he still accommodate you like this? For a lifetime?"

Since after dinner, Gu Ning had been pondering this question; now that Li Li Xuewu had returned, she was still thinking about it.

"Tell me."

Gu Ning twisted her body to lie flat on the pillow and asked Li Li Xuewu, "When two people are together for a lifetime, will they eventually grow weary of each other?"

"What do you mean?"

Li Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and asked Gu Ning, "Are you weary of me?"

Gu Ning was so annoyed by him that she pressed her lips together; what kind of logic was this?

"I'm just asking."

"Why ask about this?"

Li Li Xuewu pretended to care as he pressed, "Are you still annoyed with me?"

Seeing him causing trouble, Gu Ning twisted her body away and refused to look at him.

"Did you hear something?"

Seeing she wouldn't take the bait, Li Li Xuewu leaned forward, looked into her eyes, and asked, "If it wasn't you, then it must be Mom?"

Gu Ning turned her head, glared at Li Li Xuewu, and said, "Go wash your face and brush your teeth!"

"Then who exactly was it?"

Li Li Xuewu stood up and swore solemnly, "No matter who it was, rest assured, we will absolutely not be like them; I haven't had enough of you yet."

Gu Ning pursed her lips and signaled with her eyes for him to hurry up and talk less.

Li Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows, deliberately teasing her, "Do you want a kiss?"

"..."

Gu Ning mimicked Li Li Xuewu's squinting expression and deliberately said in a gloomy tone, "There's an empty room downstairs."

"Alright, alright, no kissing, no kissing."

Li Li Xuewu entered the bathroom with an amused smile, still muttering to himself, "I'll kiss you after I finish washing my face and brushing my teeth."

Hearing his rogue-like words, Gu Ning couldn't help but press her lips together in a smile, feeling as though the doubts in her heart regarding her mother now had an answer.

People are different; perhaps everyone is different, and she simply hadn't encountered it before.

But she dared to believe that the person she had met would never grow tired of her.

She was not made of iron and stone, nor an emotionless block of ice; she knew clearly how good Li Li Xuewu was to her, and she was also actively expressing her affection for Li Li Xuewu.

Yet sometimes, love is not a template from a book, nor is it the domestic trifles spoken of by parents, but rather the small warmth between two people.

If Li Li Xuewu came to kiss her with a mouth full of alcohol or carrying the smell of smoke, she would still be annoyed.

She was unwilling to socialize and even less willing to visit relatives, yet Li Li Xuewu would still persuade her to go out more and move around more.

Both could see the shortcomings in each other, but this would not become a reason to grow weary of one another.

She understood the life lessons from her mother's mouth, but she still believed that life requires love.

A life without love is dull and tasteless, with little worth mentioning.

Yet now she lived with flavor, enjoying the little surprises Li Li Xuewu gave her, and expressing her own astonishment at appropriate times.

Wasn't this precisely the love and life she wanted?

At night, she lit a lamp for Li Li Xuewu, waiting for his return.

At dawn, Li Li Xuewu gave her a kiss telling her to sleep a little longer.

Li Li Xuewu rose early; previously it was to fetch milk for Li Shu, but now that Qin Qin Jingru came from home, she would bring it on her way.

He had formed the habit of rising early, yet Li Li Xuewu liked to sleep in; even if he couldn't sleep, he liked lying in bed under the covers.

But without matters concerning his daughter, he still had plenty of his own affairs.

After being in Yangcheng for half a month, so much work had piled up at the factory that he couldn't handle it, and there were many household matters as well.

Knowing he had returned, Shen Shen Guodong delivered the financial statements prepared by his eldest sister-in-law, along with the business reports from Yu Li, to the house.

Li Li Xuewu had no time to read them during the day and had to accompany his family in the evening, so he could only read them early in the morning.

When Qin Qin Jingru finished making breakfast and stood on the stairs calling everyone to eat, Li Li Xuewu had just finished reviewing the documents.

This included the situation in Chen Jicheng, as well as the condition of Gangcheng after Wen San'er's departure.

He was not worried about the Jingcheng side; although Shen Shen Guodong had just taken over, he had already been assisting Lao Lao Biaozi for some time.

Plus, with the care and support of other connections and networks, what trouble could possibly arise?

It was Xilin in Chen Jicheng who was the concern; whether she could stand tall this time, or rather settle the turmoil left after his departure, was crucial for future arrangements in Chen Jicheng.

Relatively speaking, Lao Lao Biaozi's side was much easier; with broad and sweeping moves, having the foundation laid by Wen San'er and no longer restrained by Zhang Zhang Wanhe, he could operate freely.

There was a Dongfeng No. 1 Club in Jingcheng, so he had established a Gangcheng Youth Club on the site previously managed by Yu Min.

The activities were quite proper; without the previous flashy nonsense, the three-story building was fully utilized, becoming an exchange for Gangcheng trade.

This fellow had deeply grasped the operational essence of Dongfeng No. 1, absolutely avoiding trouble, and solidly implemented an elite system and membership system.

Not operating externally ensured the club's safety, and the recruited members were mainly excellent young people from local Gangcheng.

This also included some heads of units involved in cooperative partnerships; gathering in the evening to eat and chat was quite relaxing.

Compared to Da Da Qiangzi's previous management strategy, Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi appeared more polished and skilled at dealing with those key figures.

Ever since Li Li Xuewu introduced him to Director Ma of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi no longer regarded himself as a street hooligan.

He was a manager, the person in charge of the recycling station, and remained the person in charge upon arriving in Gangcheng, so his interactions with those key figures lacked no confidence.

These people found Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi much more agreeable; previously, he looked like he carried a bandit's aura, and his daily actions also displayed a petty mindset.

The transition in Gangcheng was very smooth, without the complications Li Li Xuewu had feared, which was related to Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi's quick resolution of complex issues and his networking with these key figures.

With no one above pursuing the matter and no one below daring to cause trouble, wasn't this simply peace under heaven?

If Gangcheng is stable, then Chen Jicheng will be stable, and the trade route starting from Gangcheng can be opened up.

Winter is approaching soon; resources like timber and dried goods from Chen Jicheng will continuously flow out of the mountains, enter the train station, and be transported to distant places.

Previously, doing these things required sneaking around, but now under the guise of the Rolling Steel Factory, the people of the recycling station have transformed, becoming this manager or that director, conducting affairs with proper methods.

"Give it!"

Seeing Tell Baba reading so intently, Li Shu was very curious about what fun thing he was holding in his hand.

She extended her small hand, her big eyes wide, meaning: Let me see what's in your hand!

"Take what?"

Li Li Xuewu put down his crossed legs, picked up a peanut from the coffee table, peeled it, and placed the kernel in her hand to tease her.

Li Shu looked at the kernel in her small hand; she wanted to say this wasn't what she wanted, yet she couldn't help but want to eat it.

She pursed her little lips, saliva already overflowing uncontrollably, and while Tell Baba wasn't paying attention, she stuffed it into her mouth.

"Want!"

This time Li Shu's goal was very clear; she wanted something to eat.

As for the thing in Tell Baba's hand, it certainly wasn't edible, otherwise why would Tell Baba just stare at it without eating?

"Don't give it to her to eat, she'll choke again."

The old lady walked over, bent down, and looked at Li Shu's little mouth, which was still chewing.

Peanuts were still too hard for tiny her; her baby teeth couldn't fully handle this kind of food yet.

"Stop messing around~ Hurry up and go eat."

The old lady picked the unchewed peanut out of Li Shu's mouth and complained to her grandson.

Seeing Tell Baba about to leave and Great-Grandma not letting her eat, Li Shu immediately got anxious.

"Ah! ~"

She shouted loudly, trying to snatch her nut back from Great-Grandma's hand, but Tell Baba picked her up from behind.

"Let's go~ Go eat foodie-food~"

"Ya!"

Li Shu was carried on Tell Baba's shoulder, her big eyes still fixed on Great-Grandma's hand.

The old lady wiped her hands clean with a tissue, and seeing Gu Ning had also come downstairs, urged, "Eat quickly, or it will get cold."

"Okay, Grandma, have you eaten?"

Gu Ning wore pajamas with a thin vest over them, made by her mother-in-law and delivered by Shen Guodong a few days ago.

When the old lady spoke to her, she naturally had to reply; it would be impolite to let an elder's words fall to the ground.

The old lady nodded, gesturing toward the dining room, and said, "Already ate, just waiting for you all."

While explaining, she glanced at Han Han Jiankun wiping the car at the entrance and muttered, "That car is already clean, why keep wiping it?"

Gu Ning also took a look but didn't pay much attention; back when they were at home, the driver would wipe the car every morning too—perhaps it was work, or perhaps a habit.

Li Li Xuewu sat at the dining table holding Li Shu, taking a bite himself and then feeding his daughter a bite.

Li Shu was restless while eating; while chewing with her mouth, her hands still had to be playing with something.

When Gu Ning entered the dining room, Li Shu's eyes were sharp; without waiting for her mother to speak, she immediately put down the chopsticks she had been waving around.

"Put her on the chair to feed her."

Gu Ning rebuked Li Li Xuewu, reminding him not to develop bad dining habits for the child.

Li Li Xuewu kissed his daughter instead and said, "Haven't doted on my daughter for a long time; today I'll just spoil her a bit."

The old father wanted to appear very affectionate, but Li Shu wasn't very interested.

Her little hand swiped at his face, not wanting Tell Baba to get close.

"Want~"

Seeing Tell Baba looking at her with a sad expression, Li Shu pointed a small finger at the rice bowl, reminding him without any face-saving to mind his role.

You're serving a child their meal, can't you focus a little!

Why do you always think about taking advantage of me!

"Don't always think about taking advantage; show some real sincerity."

The first meeting on Friday morning was hosted by Li Li Xuewu, concerning the renovation work for the Six Nations Hotel.

Attendees included Dou Dou Yaozu, representing the construction unit; Zhang Zhang Songying, the operations manager; Lang Zhennan, the engineering manager; and heads of other relevant departments.

Over the past two days, Li Li Xuewu had met with Lang Zhennan for meetings many times; no matter the project, it couldn't proceed without the support of the Engineering Division.

All projects involving groundbreaking and earth-moving operations required the Engineering Division to take the lead in organization and review.

This mainly concerned the review of engineering designs and construction plans, as the actual construction still had to be handed over to professional teams.

The Rolling Steel Factory did have its own engineering team, but they focused primarily on maintenance and upkeep; after all, they weren't a construction unit, so there was no need for such a large scale.

It was just that this year the volume of engineering work had surged, including the residential district project currently under construction; in previous years, where was there ever this much workload?

Therefore, Lang Zhennan attended today's meeting in the capacity and perspective of a reviewer, examining the plans brought by the construction party.

Dou Dou Yaozu had long received a reminder from Li Li Xuewu and had already obtained the basic data for the Six Nations Hotel during the previous renovation.

Thus, what he presented this time was a plan developed by organizing those teachers and students from the Tsinghua Architecture Department within Dongfeng Construction, combining the design requirements he had learned from Li Li Xuewu.

With an open-book exam and such powerful outside support, it would be a problem if Dou Dou Yaozu didn't score full marks.

This meeting was certainly not a mere formality; including Li Li Xuewu, Lang Zhennan, Zhang Zhang Songying, and several others all proposed modifications and supplementary suggestions.

Dou Dou Yaozu, along with the design personnel, looked at the blueprints spread across the table and, addressing everyone's opinions and requirements, provided revised plans on the spot, truly making Lang Zhennan look at Dongfeng Construction—a unit that seemed like a makeshift crew—with new respect.

Finally, during budget verification, the person in charge from Finance wanted to hold things up a bit; after all, Dongfeng Construction had already undertaken too many Rolling Steel Factory projects and was guaranteed profit with no risk.

However, Li Li Xuewu specifically pointed out this situation during his speech.

Engineering costs, including budget assessments, follow certain construction standards and projections; special factors like personal relationships should not be brought into this.

Li Li Xuewu also mentioned the equivalent relationship between budget and quality: if Party A tries to take advantage in the budget, Party B will try to make up for it by cutting corners on engineering quality.

You take advantage of me, I take advantage of you; in the end, who loses out?

It cannot be said absolutely that money isn't saved, but sometimes money that needs to be spent simply cannot be saved.

Li Li Xuewu certainly didn't say this just because Dongfeng Construction was sitting here; whoever sat here today, he would have said these words.

From the very beginning, he did not want to instill in the Rolling Steel Factory cadres the idea of gaining reputation and achievements by withholding budgets or practicing excessive frugality.

If one really wants to save money, where can't one save? Go tell Li Li Huai De to stop organizing so many damn receptions; how much money could that save?

He was very particular about efficiency in meetings; if anyone said something wrong, he would point it out immediately.

Issues were addressed one after another; whoever raised a problem, if it was their problem, it was resolved immediately.

Just now Dou Dou Yaozu was facing the Rolling Steel Factory's review and questioning; now it had become a case of both sides discussing money without hurting feelings.

The door to the third-floor conference room was tightly shut; business negotiations, especially those involving budgetary funds, absolutely could not be leaked casually.

At this time, even the secretaries and service staff had to stand outside the door.

Today, Peng Peng Xiaoli from the First Section of the Management Committee Office was responsible for organizing and coordinating the meeting, so naturally, he too had to stand at the doorway waiting for instructions.

There was no news yet that the meeting had ended, but he did receive news that a leader wanted to speak with him.

Old Jin from the section had come to fetch him, saying that Deputy Director Wang wanted to talk to him and that he should go over immediately.

Peng Peng Xiaoli was momentarily stunned, glancing at Old Jin with some surprise.

Old Jin, however, understood the situation clearly; he patted Peng's arm, urged him to hurry over, and said he would take over the duty here.

Peng Peng Xiaoli agreed with a sound, yet he continued to ponder why a leader wanted to speak with him.

A leader summoning someone and a leader wanting to have a talk with someone were two entirely different matters.

He was a clerk in the First Section of the Management Committee Office, while Deputy Director Wang was the deputy director of the Management Committee Office; it was common for a leader to call him for work assignments.

But speaking of having a "talk," that did not carry the same meaning.

With a trembling heart, wondering if he had done something wrong, he nervously knocked on the door to Deputy Director Wang's office.

"Come in, Peng Xiaoli."

Wang Wang Zongli was sitting on the sofa; seeing him knock, she beckoned with a wave of her hand.

Over by the sofa, Peng Peng Xiaoli also saw Deputy Director Sha from the General Office of the Security Group.

Wasn't this person Li Li Xuewu's secretary? What was he doing here?

"Greetings, Leader. Greetings, Director Sha."

Peng Peng Xiaoli took the initiative to greet them; though his mind was racing with a thousand thoughts, his face remained very calm as he walked to the front of the sofa and said, "Did you call me because there is some work you need me to..."

"Sit, sit down first."

Wang Wang Zongli maintained a certain smile on her face; seeing that he was somewhat nervous, she waved her hand to indicate he should sit down before speaking.

If she hadn't acted this way, it might have been fine, but the more she acted like this, the less sure Peng Peng Xiaoli felt in his heart.

In the past, Deputy Director Wang had never shown such an amiable demeanor.

No, it wasn't that she never had such a look, but rather she never showed it to him, nor had anyone ever seen her show it to other secretaries in the Management Committee Office.

It was only towards leaders, towards high-ranking leaders coming down from above for inspections, that Deputy Director Wang had smiles even warmer than the one she showed today.

Yet even a smile like today's made him feel somewhat unaccustomed.

In the Management Committee Office, Deputy Director Wang was in charge of organizational work; for her to seek him out for a talk, there were only two possible outcomes.

Either promotion, or reassignment.

Promotion seemed... he couldn't be sure in his heart, after all, his work during this period had nothing particularly outstanding about it.

But speaking of reassignment, that was quite possible.

The predecessor of the Management Committee Office was the Factory Office, whose main responsibility was service: serving leaders and serving the internal workflow of the factory organs.

While serving, they, as secretaries, also needed to rotate positions.

It was not only the leaders' secretaries who would be sent down to take up posts; including people like him, once a certain number of service years were reached, everyone would face this choice.

The factory's personnel department, or the leaders in charge of organizational work, would fully consider the issue of sending young people from various departments down to the grassroots for tempering.

Everyone focused their attention on the leaders' secretaries because, although they held the same secretary positions, their treatment differed vastly.

The young people in the office were in the prime of their youth, the best time to work; after several years of tempering in the office, going down would allow them to become key backbones of a department.

This kind of talent rotation was normal and necessary for the factory, but for the individuals involved, it was very hard to accept.

Working in the Management Committee Office, one was a secretary, big or small, and if sent down, people would still address one as "Director."

But once truly sent down to the grassroots, who would still care about them? Those not in leadership positions would basically waste their lives down there.

In the past, Peng Peng Xiaoli had not lacked opportunities to serve as a secretary for a leader, but he had always missed them due to one reason or another.

Director Xu had also taken great care of him and groomed him, which was why he had become so adept at handling all situations today.

Perhaps he had pursued this goal too intensely, and to this day, he had not waited for any leader to select him as a secretary.

Facing Deputy Director Wang's unusually attituded talk today, cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

With a dry and hoarse throat, he sat on the sofa, wearing an expression of resigning himself to fate.

Wang Wang Zongli perhaps saw through his thoughts and asked with amusement, "Am I that scary, or is Deputy Director Sha that scary, that you need to act like this!"

"Where is your usual cleverness and capability?"

"Leader..."

Peng Peng Xiaoli did not catch Deputy Director Wang's hint; his heart was still tangled up with where he was about to be assigned.

Wang Wang Zongli also realized it; this fellow had drilled himself into a dead end.

Afraid of truly scaring him, Wang Wang Zongli stopped teasing him and got straight to the point: "Deputy Director Sha will be responsible for the work of the Foreign Trade Office, and now Deputy Director Li lacks an assistant."

"Ah, ah?"

Peng Peng Xiaoli didn't react immediately; he knew Deputy Director Sha was taking charge of the Foreign Trade Office, but what did Deputy Director Li lacking a secretary have to do with him... Wait, no!

Seeing Peng Peng Xiaoli still staring blankly, Wang Wang Zongli coughed once; she really couldn't bear to look anymore, as normally this fellow seemed quite sharp.

She turned and gestured to Comrade Sha Sha Qizhi sitting beside her, explaining to Peng Peng Xiaoli: "Today, Deputy Director Sha is here on behalf of Deputy Director Li to speak with you."

"De... Deputy Director Li?"

Peng Peng Xiaoli seemed to finally understand, but the disbelief deep in his heart made his expression even more bewildered than before.

Sha Sha Qizhi smiled with understanding and said, "We are already quite familiar; the leader is busy today, so he has entrusted me to speak with you."

"Ah... yes."

Peng Peng Xiaoli squeezed his own hand hard, forcing himself to calm down, and looked at Sha Sha Qizhi as he said somewhat embarrassedly, "My apologies, Deputy Director Sha, I... this news is a bit sudden."

"Hehe~ it is quite sudden."

Sha Sha Qizhi chuckled lightly, glanced at Wang Wang Zongli beside him, and then said to him, "So, what are your thoughts? You can speak them out."

"Me? I..."

Peng Peng Xiaoli was now so nervous he wanted to jump down from the third floor, yet so excited he wanted to jump up to the third floor from below.

"It's alright; you can tell me whatever thoughts you have."

Comrade Sha Sha Qizhi had been through this before; his former self was exactly like Peng Peng Xiaoli now.

He took the initiative to soothe the other's emotions, wanting to hear this young man's thoughts.

Peng Peng Xiaoli's forehead and palms were covered in sweat; he didn't know whether it was from the fright just now or the excitement of the moment.

Hearing Deputy Director Sha's consolation, he finally spoke the words stifling his heart: "I... I'm not nervous..."