Chapter 942: The Fifty-Thousand-Yuan Case

If the scale of industrial categories determines the breadth of an enterprise, then the sense of belonging among employees determines its reach.

According to the Steel Rolling Mill's current industrial scale, the only things standing between it and becoming bigger and stronger are effort and time.

Yet, regarding the management and service of factory employees, the factory leadership, including Li Huai De, can clearly feel a sense of urgency.

Compared to those above them, the current welfare and benefits of the Steel Rolling Mill's employees have their own merits; compared to those below, they are more than sufficient.

Compared to the past, things have been turned upside down; what needs to be studied now is how they compare to the future.

Yu Li Huai De's own career planning, the biggest phased goal for the Steel Rolling Mill at present is group formation.

This process requires not only that factory cadres lead by example, but even more so that all employees contribute selflessly and strive diligently.

Contributing labor, contributing youth, and even contributing one's life.

Li Huai De himself is also very clear that abruptly raising the enterprise's development goals, and even needing to shorten the deadlines for achieving those goals, inevitably means many people must make sacrifices.

Especially with the work needs of multiple factory areas and multiple work zones, there will be sacrifices of leaving home and abandoning one's business across the country.

In this process, spiritual incentive methods must be used, such as work grading, labor awards, skill evaluations, quality honors, and so on.

But as the saying goes, even an emperor doesn't starve his soldiers; just feeding them spiritual nourishment isn't enough—material rewards are also needed.

According to the reward management opinions provided by Li Xuewu, spiritual and material rewards need to complement and highlight each other.

For example, the Steel Rolling Mill's existing welfare benefits, such as the Service Department's non-rationed product sales, the housing allocation policy for residential dormitories, and priority recruitment for employees' children.

While formulating relevant policies and service measures, one must consider universality and advancement, as well as economic viability and representativeness.

One must use benefits that other factories don't have to incentivize factory employees; there must be a striking contrast, and even more, a sense of happiness must be enhanced.

Compared to the housing policy for employees in difficulty, the Workers' New Village plan reported by Lang Zhennan appears particularly massive and advanced.

The "Plan" points out that within the next five years, the Steel Rolling Mill will successively invest in and build residential area projects including workers' apartments, workers' housing, and cadre housing.

The goal is to solve the housing difficulties of employees working in the capital, and even more, to solve the management difficulties of future enterprise employees.

The direction of supporting services for residential areas will include workers' clubs, schools (kindergartens, primary schools, middle schools, vocational technical schools), comprehensive hospitals, activity squares, gymnasiums, internal service markets, park savings, postal services, park broadcasting, park bathrooms, park logistics, and so on.

Truly achieving an all-encompassing service and management model for food, clothing, housing, transportation, birth, aging, illness, and death.

The Steel Rolling Mill is coordinating with relevant departments in the capital to build an integrated industrial park for ecology, residence, scientific research, education, and production in the Liangma River basin.

Sources of land mainly include application, requisition, exchange, and purchase.

Li Xuewu also spoke about this matter at a symposium with higher-level leaders; those merged factories must include land.

This land will be exchanged and sold by the Steel Rolling Mill with surrounding enterprises, and the economic proceeds will still be used for land requisition compensation and exchange compensation.

Another source is mainly related to the planned workers' housing.

Workers' housing is distinct from workers' apartments and the housing for employees in difficulty currently under construction.

Housing for employees in difficulty has restrictions and standards, including length of service, housing conditions, family situation, etc.

Workers' apartments are conventional multi-person dormitories, only places for single workers to live temporarily, and cannot be occupied long-term.

But workers' housing is different; Li Xuewu has had full and in-depth exchanges and communication with Jing Yunong, and on the basis of existing policy requirements, formulated this land and capital collection scheme.

It is equivalent to commercial housing, but more era-specific and goal-oriented.

Not to mention apartments, speaking just of housing for employees in difficulty, it is basically about twenty square meters, regardless of the number of family members.

There is no independent kitchen or bathroom, and no basic renovation or equipment facilities.

But the workers' housing buildings in the Workers' New Village plan have these, including independent kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, balconies, and bedrooms, among other functional areas.

The application conditions for workers' housing are very special; they require replacement compensation using existing housing, including housing coordinated and allocated by the Steel Rolling Mill, as well as housing owned by the workers themselves.

According to a comprehensive assessment of the value of all housing inside and outside the city, combined with employee skill levels and performance results, replacements are made according to three grades of square footage: 40, 60, and 80.

If the assessed grade is in the 40-square-meter bracket and there is a need to apply for the 60 or 80-square-meter bracket, then the construction costs for this portion must be paid.

There will certainly be employees who have lived frugal lives for too long who will choose to wait for housing for employees in difficulty, and are more willing to squeeze a whole family into a 20-square-meter room.

But there will definitely be employees in the city willing to use their flat-roofed houses to exchange for apartment buildings closer to their workplace.

The advantages of cleanliness, hygiene, and advancement go without saying; the factory's free heating alone can move the hearts of a large portion of people.

Housing for employees in difficulty requires assessment; not everyone can apply for it. Li Huai De approved a quota of only 1,000 units for Gu Weijie.

That is to say, among the factory's total of 30,000 employees, removing factors like dual-employee or even triple-employee households, there is less than a 1 in 30 chance of being able to get housing for employees in difficulty.

And the construction period for housing for employees in difficulty is to be completed within two years; once truly moved in, comparing it to workers' housing will be another feeling entirely.

According to Jing Yunong's calculations, the number of employees in the capital in the future should be around 10,000; the three housing models should be able to solve 80% of the employees' housing needs.

For the remaining 20%, one must also allow for a portion of employees who like living in flat-roofed houses, or like living in the city, or have money and property at home.

Cadre housing is relatively special; after all, many cadres already have houses in the city or ones that are somewhat better than those in the factory's construction plan.

But regarding cadre housing, the Workers' New Village plan has formulated construction plans for 60, 80, 100, and 120 square meters, to be allocated according to rank and organizational needs.

In principle, cadres who have houses in the city or have no need for housing are not included in the allocation plan, and they can also use their existing housing for exchange.

The introduction of various plans is for only one goal: land concentration and capital circulation.

After Lang Zhennan finished reporting the Workers' New Village plan, Li Huai De gave special instructions; he mentioned the issue of building a comprehensive hospital that Li Xuewu had just spoken about, requiring logistics and engineering departments to exert subjective initiative.

It must be won, prioritized for development, and prioritized for construction.

Li Huai De's evaluation of this project is that it has great potential; it can satisfy the Steel Rolling Mill's employee needs, and it can also be self-sufficient, and even generate income and efficiency.

Now the cadres in the factory have basically understood: under Director Li, projects that purely spend money are not good projects, and projects that spend not a penny and purely make money are also not good projects!

Only projects that require spending money but can also make money are good projects!

The more money spent, the more money earned, the better and more successful the project, and the more he wants to support it.

Why?

Savor it, savor it carefully!

Once you savor it, when you become a leader, you will do the same!

After Lang Zhennan recorded Director Li's instructions, he also requested a discussion on the project of building a workers' sanatorium and vacation area in Steel City.

The vacation area mainly includes recuperation, sports, training, hunting, orchards, skiing, hot springs, and other projects, with the goal of having the Steel Rolling Mill's own workers' welfare sanatorium.

In the budget and benefit assessment for this project, Jing Yunong gave standards and requirements for self-sufficiency.

Compared to Nandaihe and Beidaihe, which everyone is more familiar with, Steel City possesses more unique geographical advantages and more convenient service conditions.

Importantly, the Steel Rolling Mill has invested more in Steel City, and there will be more employees working in Steel City in the future.

Especially since Steel City has more heavy industrial enterprises, it can fully achieve the standard of break-even between input and output.

No inevitable conclusion was reached at the meeting; Li Huai De gave a requirement for further argumentation.

Still the same saying: it must be able to spend money, and it must be able to make money. Old Li doesn't want to do money-losing businesses now; he doesn't want to be that sucker.

When it was the production group's turn to report work, everyone's eyes were on Xiao Zihong, who walked out.

This person, who had just been transferred to the production group to serve as deputy leader, was none other than the former head of the Engineering Division, former deputy head of the Security Group, and Li Xuewu's "old" subordinate—the old scapegoat.

The reason everyone paid attention to him was not only because of his relationship with Li Xuewu, but also because the production group was not favored by Director Li.

Not to mention the relationship between the supervisor Cheng Kaiyuan and Old Li; Kuang Yusheng didn't care about Old Li at all before, and Ji Jiuzheng used to hang out with Xia Zhongquan, and Xia Zhongquan didn't care about Old Li either!

So this whole bunch of people were not within Director Li's scope of favor.

It just depended on whether Xiao Zihong could bring a little bit of friendliness to the production group.

Xiao Zihong was reporting work on behalf of the production group for the first time, so he was very cautious and only reported the progress of existing heavy industrial production and the situation of existing technical research and development.

Li Huai De didn't speak; regarding the appointment of Xiao Zihong, he was more willing to describe it as "having is better than not having."

The other party's caution and adherence to rules did not raise any opinions or interest from Li Huai De regarding him personally, or the production group.

Of course, this was a good thing; Kuang Yusheng and Ji Jiuzheng, who were present, didn't think Li Huai De's attention was anything worth being happy or proud about.

Cadres like them who came up from the business and technical levels looked down on people like Li Huai De the most.

Li Xuewu was different; this person knew a little bit about everything, and you couldn't fool him—only he could fool you.

So Kuang Yusheng and the others weren't afraid of Li Huai De's suppression, but were afraid of Li Xuewu's fooling.

Li Huai De didn't speak, and Li Xuewu looked at the somewhat serious Xiao Zihong and emphasized: "Next time you report work, remember to add the situation of safe production."

"Yes."

The serious demeanor Xiao Zihong worked hard to create had no effect at all in front of Li Xuewu.

He very habitually continued the superior-subordinate relationship from the Security Group; everyone could see that Xiao Zihong responded to Li Xuewu's request very naturally.

Wei Zai couldn't help but smile and glance at Li Xuewu; this kid was clearly suppressing Xiao Zihong.

"Also."

Li Xuewu named the technical department and emphasized: "Focus on the work content of school-enterprise cooperation, broaden technical development channels, and seize the opportunity to strengthen scientific research forces."

"Director Li is very concerned about this point."

He swayed his body slightly and gestured in Li Huai De's direction, saying: "Especially scientific and technological development and the transformation of achievements."

"Understood, Deputy Director Li."

After Ji Jiuzheng nodded in response, Xia Zhongquan, as the factory's chief engineer, also replied.

In the subsequent work report, Xia Zhongquan, on behalf of the Technical Development Leading Group Office, provided supplementary explanations regarding external technology introduction and equipment procurement, core technology research and development for automobiles and shipbuilding, and existing scientific research projects.

After Xia Zhongquan finished his report, Li Xuewu specifically named Sha Qizhi of the Foreign Affairs Office, requiring the other party to pay attention to the reception and arrangement work for the foreign business delegation at the end of the month.

Li Huai De also gave instructions on this work, requiring the Foreign Affairs Office to cooperate closely with the security and foreign affairs departments, and to actively coordinate, especially paying attention to confidentiality and security work.

Sha Qizhi is now the person in charge of the Foreign Affairs Office; he took the initiative to report relevant work and also introduced the work of receiving the visit of progressive youth last Sunday.

Li Huai De was actually very impatient to receive these people, but couldn't help laughing when Sha Qizhi was reporting.

Especially regarding the design of the reception process, he even joked with Li Xuewu, saying that Li Xuewu's method was well thought out.

Li Xuewu was not to be outdone, saying it was all because of Director Li's good leadership.

The harmonious atmosphere between the two also eased the tense atmosphere at the scene, and everyone could tell one or two jokes when reporting work.

Especially when the Economic and Trade Office was the last to take the stage: Zhuang Cangshu, Lv Peizhong, Cen Fuyao—three people, three regions, three forces.

Zhuang Cangshu, on behalf of the Joint Trade Center, reported on the construction and trade work of the Jinmen Office and the Trade Management Center, and reported on the construction, training, sales, and preparation work for new offices in various places, etc.

Cen Fuyao, on behalf of the Steel City Production Base, reported on the construction and management work of the hardware, automobile, shipbuilding, electronics, and military industrial production bases.

Lv Peizhong, on behalf of the Joint Third Industry Management Office, reported on management work such as the food industry, auto parts industry, and joint third industry.

Including the production situation of existing projects such as textiles, glass, packaging, and hardware, especially hardware, where sales of radiators, explosion-proof equipment, fire-fighting equipment, and special vehicles were good.

Watching Lv Peizhong speak with cadence and even take the initiative to crack a joke, Li Huai De didn't buy it.

He didn't laugh, so no one at the meeting laughed, and Lv Peizhong's joke became a joke itself.

"What you are reporting now are all achievements created by the comrades of the former Joint Third Industry Industrial Project Management Office. What about your own work plans?"

Li Huai De looked at him very seriously and said: "You and Comrade Yaohui have both just arrived at the Joint Third Industry Management Office, one principal and one deputy. I was very much against this arrangement initially."

"How can the principal and deputy ranks of a project or a department be changed at the same time? This is a harm to the department's management work!"

"The reason it is the current situation is because Comrade Xuewu recommended you and spoke about your respective situations."

"Especially Comrade Yaohui."

Li Huai De pointed at Jin Yaohui, who was sitting on the edge, and emphasized: "You just returned from the frontier office, from the front end back to the back end. Don't wear new shoes and walk the old path!"

His criticism was very severe, especially at an office meeting of this level; he didn't give Jin Yaohui and Lv Peizhong any face at all.

The matter of Jin Yaohui returning to the factory for a position was already spreading like wildfire within the factory; everyone said he had good luck, but ended up eating dog shit.

Following such a good leader, yet he himself was a piece of trash; although he was promoted half a rank after returning from the frontier office, he ended up as a deputy in the third industry.

Li Huai De directly broke through those rumors about Jin Yaohui in the conference room, partly to distance himself, and partly to appease Li Xuewu.

This position was actively proposed by Li Xuewu, but it was also coordinated by Jing Yunong with Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu could be considered to have given up a piece of his sphere of influence to Li Huai De to accommodate Jin Yaohui.

So you say Lv Peizhong leaned toward Li Huai De?

Actually, it was thanks to Jing Yunong's relationship; the Joint Third Industry Management Office should have been split between Li Xuewu and her anyway.

Li Huai De's third meaning was also to remind Jin Yaohui that he would not give any more support or help; the rest would have to be created by Jin Yaohui himself.

Of course, these words were all implied in his expectation and requirement for the two to continue to be brilliant on the basis of the management office's existing achievements.

Those who understand, understand. The fear in the eyes of those looking at Jin Yaohui disappeared, replaced by some playfulness.

If there is any competitive relationship with the other party in the future, it cannot be done openly, and there is no need to fear Director Li pulling strings in the dark.

Doing it openly won't work; the leader's secretary is, after all, a layer of face.

Face is face, but it doesn't look like much now.

It's not that following a good leader means you will fly high and rise to the top.

It's giving you opportunities for development and exercise; it's impossible to support you infinitely without cost.

The best relationship belongs to Dong Wenxue and Li Xuewu; although not a secretary, it also proves the importance of mutual assistance in the workplace.

Jin Yaohui heard the warning in the leader's words and also saw the meaningful looks from the crowd.

For a moment, feelings of embarrassment, shame, regret, and some crazy resentment welled up in his heart; his gaze toward Li Xuewu was even filled with malice.

If it weren't for Li Xuewu arranging for people to occupy the frontier office, why would he have returned to the capital like a stray dog to be humiliated?

If it weren't for Li Xuewu...

Some people, when they fail, always want to push the blame onto others groundlessly, and even resent others for the reasons for their failure.

Li Xuewu didn't notice Jin Yaohui's resentful gaze, but Shi Ruoweng, who was sitting behind Li Huai De, saw it.

Yes, both are deputy directors of the Management Committee Office; one sits beside Director Li presiding over the office meeting, while the other can only sit at the outer conference table taking notes.

Shi Ruoweng imitated Li Huai De's manner, listening to Li Xuewu's speech and watching Li Xuewu's performance the whole time.

His goal was naturally not to learn from Li Haiyang to collect and organize a "Complete Collection of Deputy Director Li's Brilliant Quotes," but to find flaws regarding Li Xuewu.

Resentment and jealousy are like evil brothers, naturally possessing the attribute of mutual attraction.

After the office meeting ended, Shi Ruoweng found Jin Yaohui and chatted alone for quite a while.

And then, when Jin Yaohui, under his leadership, went to Li Huai De's office to report work, Jin Yaohui began to complain about Li Xuewu.

In the past, Shi Ruoweng was a staff officer at the factory office and an old hand with the pen; during his time serving Li Huai, he naturally maintained a very good relationship with Jin Yaohui.

What good could come from the two of them gathering together? Jin Yaohui had merely obtained some guarantees, some promises, and some so-called conditions.

So what Li Huai De heard was reported by Jin Yaohui, regarding Li Xuewu coming to the factory yesterday, which was last Sunday, to pick up Wang Zongli, who had returned from the frontier, and even personally sending Wang Zongli home.

Jin Yaohui spoke with certainty and conviction about how Li Xuewu came to the factory to pick someone up, and how he had ulterior motives in wanting to help Wang Zongli.

He said with great dissatisfaction that Li Xuewu doing this was inappropriate, and clearly had some selfish motives.

Shi Ruoweng stood to the side and also saw Li Huai De's eyes flicker, so he added fuel to the fire, saying that Deputy Director Li is a deputy director of the Management Committee Office and also the person in charge of the Security Group; being a colleague of Wang Zongli, and now even more so a superior-subordinate relationship, picking the other party up home could be considered understandable.

Jin Yaohui was a bit surprised when he first heard him say this; it didn't seem quite the same as what the two had discussed in the office.

And after listening for a while, the words started to taste wrong; only then did he realize that Shi Ruoweng was attacking in reverse.

On one hand, he pointed out that Li Xuewu now held too many positions and too much power, and privately contacting someone with a background like Wang Zongli inevitably meant there was something going on.

It was a pity; Li Huai De had some doubts at first, and even the string of caution in his heart was plucked by the two of them until it was chaotic.

This was the string regarding vigilance and guarding against Li Xuewu, which had been taut in his heart for a long time.

But after listening to Shi Ruoweng's analysis, he felt that the two of them singing in harmony was quite ridiculous.

When it comes to background relationships, does Li Xuewu need to curry favor and win over Wang Zongli?

A joke!

Actually, one can't blame Shi Ruoweng for being so ignorant; he really didn't know Li Xuewu's background relationships.

Before this, he hadn't reached this level, and no one had even mentioned to him who had come to Li Xuewu's wedding.

Only a few factory leaders attended; who would randomly comment on these things?

When Wei Zai told him Li Xuewu's purpose for coming to the factory last Sunday, he didn't mention this part, so he was lifting a rock only to drop it on his own feet.

Li Huai De didn't blame him, but he criticized Jin Yaohui, scolding him for making trouble out of nothing, being ungrateful, and being a heartless person.

He even said he didn't put these thoughts into his work, but instead came to gossip.

When Li Haiyang came in with documents, he happened to run into Jin Yaohui being scolded by Director Li until he was bloody-headed, ashamed and unable to face anyone, covering his face and leaving.

And when he handed Wang Zongli's sick leave application and the transfer order for Wang Zongli from above to Director Li, he heard even more severe scolding.

"Truly mud that can't be supported on the wall!"

Li Huai De looked sharply outside the office door; Jin Yaohui had already left, but he still wasn't satisfied.

Wang Zongli returned yesterday, and today she submitted a sick leave application, and the factory received a transfer order for her from above; it was clearly premeditated.

Li Xuewu coming to the factory to pick someone up yesterday was either to probe for news and eliminate influence, or to get rid of this hot potato.

No matter what he did, he was helping him, Li Huai De, clean up the mess and eliminate future trouble; it was ridiculous that Jin Yaohui was still here spouting nonsense.

What can such a person do?

Attacking others, framing and slandering, achieving nothing!

Li Huai De signed the two applications while instructing Li Haiyang to have personnel speed up the processing of the procedures.

Li Haiyang responded, glanced at Deputy Director Shi standing there with an awkward expression, and thought to himself: with just this level of skill, you still want to play the game of sowing discord?

It might work on others, but against Deputy Director Li, don't wait until you flip the car; you won't even find the tune to cry to.

He really couldn't figure out what reason this person had to frame Deputy Director Li; he hadn't heard of any conflict between the two in the past.

Furthermore, using Wang Zongli as a raft—was this brain kicked by a donkey?

You could say Li Xuewu met Zhou Miaomiao at night; just make it up, anyway, this kind of thing can't be investigated, and it would have made Director Li suspicious.

Deputy Director Li went to pick up Wang Zongli yesterday; there was only one possibility, and that was waste utilization.

Wanting to use Wang Zongli's last bit of regret and resentment to achieve a backlash against those people in the factory.

It's a pity; judging from today's handling results, Wang Zongli clearly didn't take the bait, and even gave Deputy Director Li a slap on the back of the head.

Of course, if you want to say what Deputy Director Li lost, it was nothing more than that bit of rest time on Sunday, and the brain cells consumed by coming up with this bad idea.

But do you think someone like Deputy Director Li consumes many brain cells coming up with such an idea?

Li Huai De tidied up the documents on the table and deliberately didn't look at Shi Ruoweng, but softly criticized him: "Making a mountain out of a molehill."

And emphasized: "Don't bring such groundless things to me in the future; it affects unity!"

"Yes, sorry Director Li."

Shi Ruoweng didn't dare to lie in front of Li Huai De, and even less dared to quibble, taking the initiative to admit his mistake.

Of course, he also heard something different from Director Li's tone.

Things without grounds cannot be spoken of, so does that mean things with grounds can be...

"Comrade Xuewu~"

Li Huai De paused and said: "He does things with a plan, with rules, and with courage; he is very fair and kind in his conduct. You should learn more from him!"

"Don't underestimate his age!"

He raised his head and pointed at Shi Ruoweng, saying: "In the Management Committee Office, you are the deputy director in charge of organizational work, and he is the deputy director in charge of coordination work; this point is clear."

"I'll make it clear to you: get along well with him; there are many places where you can borrow his strength. Think about Xu Sinian, right~."

After finishing, he looked at the watch on his hand and said casually: "Yo, it's already this time."

Shi Ruoweng naturally understood the leader's meaning, hurriedly responded to express his stance, and then said goodbye.

Li Haiyang couldn't understand why Shi Ruoweng targeted Deputy Director Li; was it just because Director Li had used Deputy Director Li's drafts a few times in the past?

At that time, Director Li did say that Deputy Director Li's articles were better than the other party's; could this become a reason for jealousy?

He didn't know that jealousy doesn't need a reason; only failure needs one.

Li Huai De looked at Shi Ruoweng's departing back, thinking a bit more.

The opening he just gave Shi Ruoweng came more from his inner fear of the teacher-student pair of Dong Wenxue and Li Xuewu.

Now that the management environment in the factory has clearly improved, it is time to limit Li Xuewu's power.

The timing of Shi Ruoweng jumping out was good, although the reason was a bit lacking; Li Huai De could be considered to be pushing the boat with the current.

If it's effective, naturally everyone is happy; if there's a problem, then naturally it's Shi Ruoweng acting on his own, sowing discord.

What is called "the busier you are, the more work you have" is that no matter how hard you work or how you rush the progress, there are always many sudden tasks waiting for you in the future.

Li Xuewu had just finished lunch and returned from the cafeteria, and had been chatting with Wei Zai and the others for a while, watching a scene.

The scene was Liu Lan's lover coming to the factory to find her; it didn't look like they were going to remarry, but rather like he was showing off, giving her some money and cursing, something about "thirty years east of the river," which was quite interesting.

Winter entertainment after meals is really boring; in the summer, one could go for a stroll by Tuanjie Lake, forming a stinky little group or something to make some people jealous.

But that won't work now; even if the water in Tuanjie Lake is warm, it can't keep the greenery on the shore from gradually withering.

On a cold day, there is a lot of thick fog near Tuanjie Lake; falling into the lake and dying unclearly is very embarrassing.

You see, Li Xuewu isn't afraid of anything, but actually, he is afraid of water, afraid of the dark force in the water.

Don't disbelieve this; speaking of it, it's superstition, but you really can't explain these things with scientific knowledge.

For example, the dead ghosts in the water, those who died falling into ice holes in the middle of winter, those who were killed and stuffed into the ice—it's very strange.

Anyway, wherever you stuffed them in, or wherever they fell in, they will float up in the same place next year; even if the ice isn't freezing them, they won't float away.

Last time he saved that child by the bridge, he felt lingering fear afterward; who knows if there was anything unclean there.

Of course, he isn't afraid of this on land; if you dare to scare him, he dares to dig up your grave in the middle of the night with a shovel and explosives.

But water won't work; he doesn't have the great power to cut off a big river, and even less the supernatural power to move unimpeded underwater.

Saving people relies entirely on a burst of courage, so it is not recommended for ordinary people to do such things; protect yourself first.

Li Xuewu hates the dead ghosts in the water for another reason, which is that this thing inevitably expands after being in the water for a long time, which is disgusting to look at.

You say he is afraid of this; just after entering the office, the phone call Zheng Fuhua made to him personally mentioned this.

"We received a case; workers patrolling Jin Yuchi discovered a female corpse. The case is very tricky, and we need your help."

Hearing this, Li Xuewu scratched his head. Zheng Fuhua is the old leader who promoted and reused him, and even more so the leader of the Steel Rolling Mill's Security Division's territorial management relationship.

The two have rarely been in contact since the Public Security Brigade was moved away, mainly because Li Xuewu was afraid of causing him trouble.

Last time, the Steel Rolling Mill's new car launch also invited Zheng Fuhua to attend, but unfortunately, there were too many people that day, and there was no chance to sit down and have a good chat.

This time, the other party called, and Li Xuewu really didn't want to take this job; it didn't sound like a good job at all, especially since Zheng Fuhua called him personally, which shows the trickiness of the case.

Li Xuewu is no longer a person from the branch bureau, and the business of the Steel Rolling Mill's Security Section is rarely asked about personally, so the connection between the two sides has also decreased.

Being called for help by Zheng Fuhua, he was both helpless and embarrassed.

"Director Zheng, I just finished lunch~"

"Hehe, sorry."

Zheng Fuhua could hear the helplessness and emotion in Li Xuewu's words; he first apologized with a light laugh, but then said seriously: "If I could think of anyone else, any other way, I wouldn't have called you."

"What's the situation now?"

Li Xuewu sat back in his seat, picked up his fountain pen and unscrewed it, and also found some file paper to prepare for recording.

Zheng Fuhua heard his words and knew that Li Xuewu had taken on this matter, so he said: "The body is still at the scene, and the branch bureau's people are currently collecting evidence. I thought of that case you handled last year—it was also someone hidden under the ice, right?"

"Hmm, there is such a situation."

Li Xuewu nodded in response; this matter is still somewhat related to his current driver, as one of those under the ice was Han Jiankun's father.

"The situation is very close."

Zheng Fuhua said: "It should be the same purpose, mainly to destroy evidence; it's easier to disguise over there."

"How about this, I also have to go over. Why don't you go through the trouble of accompanying me to the scene?"

"In front of you, how would I dare to say it's trouble?"

Li Xuewu smiled, then asked very seriously: "Director Zheng, does this party involved have any special identity?"

"Hmm, guessed it, right? Your mind is still as sharp as before!"

Zheng Fuhua paused on the phone and said: "Don't have any concerns; it has nothing to do with you, and even less can it implicate you."

After finishing, he was afraid that Li Xuewu would have psychological baggage; after all, transferring from the branch bureau was because he was afraid of the complex situation here.

He knew Li Xuewu's background very well and understood Li Xuewu's choice even more; at this time, not every case is easy to handle.

So he first comforted Li Xuewu, and then explained: "The branch bureau received a big case, and it's been handled for almost two months, but there are still no clues."

"And the corpse discovered today is the key person in the case; it involves a key theft case of 50,000 yuan, so we have to handle it at a higher level."

"Fifty thousand?!"

Li Xuewu frowned while holding the phone and asked: "Whose family has so much money? Also, what does handling it at a higher level mean?"

Don't think Li Xuewu is making a mountain out of a molehill; even 5,000 yuan in later generations is considered a filing standard, let alone 50,000 in this era.

"Handling it at a higher level means the branch bureau investigates it, I am the person in charge, and Comrade Lai Shanchuan is responsible for handling it."

Zheng Fuhua first explained the situation of handling it at a higher level, and then explained: "The case happened at the credit cooperative; it's cash in the vault. Now the case hasn't been sorted out, so it's not convenient to talk about it in detail."

"I understand."

Li Xuewu responded, and then asked: "Division Chief Lai is presiding over the handling; is it okay for me to go over?"

"..."

"What do you think this is?"

Zheng Fuhua was silent for a moment, then asked Li Xuewu back with annoyance, and then said: "Don't mix things outside of work into work; this is true for you, and it's true for him, okay?"

He knew the relationship between Li Xuewu and Lai Shanchuan very well; of course, they weren't enemies.

Political struggle, victory and defeat have been decided, the high and low have been judged, and one must accept the loss.

Lai Shanchuan hadn't caused Li Xuewu trouble later, and Li Xuewu hadn't continued to block Lai Shanchuan.

Both sides were no longer on the same platform, so Zheng Fuhua also gave Li Xuewu a small reminder.

This means telling Li Xuewu to be mature; winning isn't winning, and losing isn't losing—don't take things outside of work too seriously.

Li Xuewu just wanted to remind Zheng Fuhua not to have anything inappropriate by then, as it wouldn't look good for either side.

After all, everyone wants face now; Li Xuewu didn't want to personally enter the arena to fight Lai Shanchuan either.

How could porcelain collide with a clay pot?

Jin Yuchi—Li Xuewu is very familiar with this place name because he has a goldfish pond at home.

Of course, the goldfish pond at home is absolutely not the crime scene; that pond is too small even for Li Shu to swim in.

The reason he mentioned the goldfish pond at home is that Li Xuewu suddenly thought that the pond had some connection to the crime scene.

When he bought that pond, Li Xuewu met someone—the one who sold the pond, surnamed Sheng, named Sheng Shaowei.

Hearing Zheng Fuhua mention this place name, he inexplicably had a connection; Sheng Shaowei's family were fish farmers by Jin Yuchi.

When he bought the goldfish pond, the other party also gave him a small lecture on goldfish maintenance that came every month, all of which were taught to Qin Jingru.

They came maybe three or four times, Qin Jingru understood it, and the other party didn't come again.

This time, thinking of the other party also reminded him of the past events about Jin Yuchi that Sheng Shaowei had told him.

This place actually doesn't exist in later generations; only the place name remains. The big pit of Jin Yuchi was left by the Jin Dynasty digging soil to build the city wall, and the location is north of the Temple of Heaven.

Don't know Jin Yuchi? You know Longxugou, right?!

That's the stinky ditch in Mr. Lao She's writing.

The reason it is called Longxugou is that in folk legend, Zhengyang Sect is the dragon's head, Tianqiao is the dragon's nose, and Longxugou is right next to the dragon's nose, hence the name.

This stinky ditch is connected to Jin Yuchi; Sheng Shaowei even panned for fish in Jin Yuchi when he was young and sent them to Marshal Zhang.

Don't say today is strange; whatever you think of, you get. After lunch, he thought of the thick water fog in Tuanjie Lake drowning people, and then the phone call came, and someone drowned.

He thought of the place name Jin Yuchi having a connection to an old acquaintance, Sheng Shaowei, and then when Li Xuewu arrived at the crime scene by car, he really saw the other party.

Sheng Shaowei was stunned when he saw him, and Li Xuewu was also speechless when he saw him.

"You discovered it?"

"Hmm."

Sheng Shaowei sighed helplessly when he heard Li Xuewu's question and said: "Count me unlucky~"

"Heh~"

Li Xuewu looked him up and down with his eyes hanging; this dejected look really looked unlucky enough.

"Not staying at home on such a cold day, what are you running here for? Don't tell me you're here to get fish!"

"..."

Sheng Shaowei cried with a face, looked at Li Xuewu speechlessly, and said: "But I really came to look for fish~"

"Fuck!"

Li Xuewu was also speechless by his appearance and asked very seriously: "Really?"

"Really! Truer than real gold!"

Sheng Shaowei looked unlucky and pointed to the fishing net on the ground: "There are good species in this pit; it produces exotic species every year. I couldn't sit still, so I wanted to come over and take a look."

"Can you get them in winter?"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and asked: "Won't goldfish freeze to death?"

"Have some common sense!"

Before Sheng Shaowei could answer, Zheng Fuhua, who came over behind Li Xuewu, reminded him: "If you say so, all the fish in winter would have frozen to death and gone extinct~"

"Hiss~ seems so~"

Li Xuewu sniffed his nose in the cold wind and said: "Fish don't die in winter either. Fuck, I was confused by you."

"..."

Seeing Li Xuewu blaming him for such things, Sheng Shaowei's unlucky look became even thicker.

"I was wronged~~~" ===== CHAPTER 943 =====