Chapter 971: Not Buying a Ferrari

“Zhou Xiaobai!”

“You ungrateful, heartless bastard!”

Luo Yun stared at Zhou Xiaobai in disbelief, then leapt up and lunged at her: “I’m going to strangle you!”

“Ah~!”

Zhou Xiaobai was knocked down; seeing Luo Yun shift from grabbing her throat to yanking at her clothes, she blushed furiously, clutching her hem, and scolded: “Luo Yun! Are you crazy?!”

“I’m crazy?!”

“I think you’re the one who’s crazy!”

Luo Yun straddled Zhou Xiaobai, her hands reaching deep into her pajamas, her voice seething: “You’re kicking me out just for some guy?!”

“I never said that!”

Zhou Xiaobai gripped Luo Yun’s two hands, her face innocent: “I already told you this isn’t right!”

“You just didn’t want to!”

Luo Yun turned to look at Li Xuewu standing nearby, then pouted at Zhou Xiaobai: “Tell me—why did you invite me?!”

“There’s no reason!”

Zhou Xiaobai blushed, avoiding Li Xuewu’s gaze, and explained to Luo Yun: “You’re my best friend—I naturally wanted you here.”

“Nonsense!”

Luo Yun’s lips trembled as if she might cry, pointing at Zhou Xiaobai: “You didn’t want me here from the start, did you? You think I’m in the way?!”

“How can you say that?!”

Zhou Xiaobai tried to rise, but Luo Yun pinned her back down; she could only soothe her: “Li Ge said we were going out—I thought of you first!”

“Really?!”

Luo Yun turned to Li Xuewu: “Li Ge, is that true?”

“Is it… or isn’t it?”

Li Xuewu, seeing Zhou Xiaobai frantically blinking at him, smirked: “Seems like it…”

“What do you mean ‘seems like’?!”

Luo Yun seized Zhou Xiaobai’s hands in midair, eyeing her suspiciously: “Are you hiding something? Are you two planning to… do that?!”

“Ah! Luo Yun!”

Zhou Xiaobai’s face was flushed—whether from being pinned or from shame—she struggled to break free, but Luo Yun was stronger.

At that moment, Li Xuewu added fuel to the fire: “That… was actually what I said.”

“Which line?”

Luo Yun pointed at Zhou Xiaobai: “Don’t speak! Don’t signal!”

Then she turned back to Li Xuewu: “Was it the first line… or the second?”

“That…”

Li Xuewu’s lips twitched; seeing Zhou Xiaobai’s pleading eyes, he sighed: “Xiaobai, you know I never lie.”

He then glanced at Luo Yun, who was reaching to cover Zhou Xiaobai’s mouth: “The first line.”

“So I knew it!”

Ignoring Zhou Xiaobai’s resistance, Luo Yun yanked up her pajama top, determined to pinch her.

“No wonder! Such a perfect chance—of course you’d bring me along if you weren’t scheming!”

“Ah! Luo Yun!”

Zhou Xiaobai couldn’t fight her off; Luo Yun’s hand closed around her, and her face turned as red as cloth.

“You’re crazy! Let go—!”

“Is this something I’m supposed to see~?”

Li Xuewu watched the scene with amusement; though he spoke those words, he made no move to leave.

Overwhelmed by shame, Zhou Xiaobai grabbed a cotton blanket from beside her and pulled it over her face—she couldn’t bear this playfulness anymore, her cheeks burning so hot she could barely breathe.

Li Xuewu laughed, opened the door, and called out: “Don’t stay up too late—get some rest,” then stepped out.

He was a gentleman—how could he enjoy watching girls tussle, especially when they were in pajamas? The level of exposure was too much.

“Ah! Zhou Xiaobai! Tell me clearly—is it because of him that you want to kick me out?!”

“Ah~… I’ll tell you… I’ll tell you… isn’t it right?~”

“So now your true colors show! You wanted to… do that, didn’t you!”

…

From behind the closed door, their shouts still echoed—youthful girls truly had energy.

This Western-style house wasn’t larger than the villa in Haiyun Cang, just differently laid out and styled.

The villa in Haiyun Cang had only two bedrooms upstairs and two downstairs, but added a study, a small tea room, and a piano stand.

This house had more rooms: three upstairs, two downstairs, and a partitioned study.

The former owner was a man of taste—his renovation cost was no less than the one next door owned by Li Huai.

But Old Li’s place invested heavily in appliances; this one focused on furniture and household amenities.

The room Li Xuewu slept in was spacious, with a window facing north, and the bed, sheets, and quilts were all present.

He didn’t turn on the light, merely stood by the window, bathed in the hallway’s glow, peering through the curtains down below.

The moon tonight was bright; winter offered no obstructions outside, and it seemed no one cared where he slept—except Zhou Xiaobai.

But he was used to caution: he pulled the curtains tight, undressed by the dim light, then shut the door and got into bed.

His pistol, loaded, rested on the nightstand, within easy reach.

Out in the world, safety is something you provide yourself.

He’d prepared for armed attacks—but never expected someone to sneak in at midnight to… assault him.

“Bro~”

The door creaked open; Zhou Xiaobai’s soft voice came from the threshold: “Are you asleep?”

“Are you trying to scare me—or kill me?”

Li Xuewu exhaled deeply, lowered the gun in his hand, and stared at the dark silhouette at the door: “It’s the middle of the night—what are you doing?”

“I’m scared~”

Zhou Xiaobai’s voice trembled slightly as she slipped in quietly and closed the door behind her.

You’re scared?

I’m scared too!

Li Xuewu looked helplessly at her boldness, half-amused: “In this house, you should be most afraid of me.”

“Oh~”

Zhou Xiaobai said nothing; guided by the faint light seeping through the curtains, she felt her way onto the bed.

She just needed an excuse—did she have to rack her brain to answer his questions?

She’d heard Li Ge’s words clearly—he was the danger, yet here she was, throwing herself at him.

But if she answered honestly, wouldn’t she have to run away?

That wouldn’t do—she’d mustered all her courage to come here; she couldn’t waste tonight!

Watching Zhou Xiaobai wriggle like a caterpillar into his bed in the dark, Li Xuewu pinched the bridge of his nose.

In a man’s world, there’s no safety—only challenges, only danger.

You call him a villain, a scoundrel—but doesn’t he feel wronged too? Setting facts aside, has he done anything wrong?

In the dead of night, he’s behaving, quietly sleeping in his room—then suddenly this happens.

A young high school girl crawls into your bed saying she’s scared—what do you do?

What should Li Xuewu do?!

It’s too dangerous!

The world is too dangerous for men!

I don’t know if you agree—but Li Xuewu firmly declares he’s afraid.

Is this how you test cadres?

Which cadre could withstand such a test?!

If you say he’s a villain, go try it yourself!

“Lying here and you’re not scared anymore?”

Li Xuewu looked at Zhou Xiaobai, curled up like a kitten under his covers, and sighed: “Should I give you this room and sleep with Luo Yun instead?”

“No~!”

Zhou Xiaobai’s muffled voice came from under the blankets; terrified he’d leave, she suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Hmm—don’t touch me.”

Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes: “My pistol’s loaded—watch out for accidental discharge!”

“Sss~”

He spoke quickly, but it was too late—he sighed helplessly: “Who taught you all this?”

“Luo Yun!”

Zhou Xiaobai’s head popped up from his chest, her voice trembling with nervousness—but more with excitement and shyness.

“She taught me—I said I didn’t want to come, but she insisted, and told me how to talk to you…”

“So she’s the bad one?”

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, sizing up the girl’s pure face, and said, “Alright, I’ll teach her a lesson later. You’re a good girl—go back to sleep.”

“I…”

Zhou Xiaobai hesitated, then stubbornly snuggled back in, muffled and sulky: “I want to try being bad…”

“Then you’ve come to the wrong person.”

Li Xuewu patted her butt and said, “I’m a good guy—you won’t learn anything bad from me.”

“Really? I don’t believe you.”

Zhou Xiaobai pulled back the blanket, leaned onto Li Xuewu’s chest, and asked him, “Then what’s this?”

“Gun.”

Li Xuewu glanced at her and said succinctly, “You’re too young—wait till you’re older…”

“Hmph~”

Zhou Xiaobai didn’t wait for him to finish; she huffed, “Hypocrite—if you don’t take your hand away, I’ll…”

“Ah~!”

Mid-sentence, she saw Li Xuewu actually pulling his hand away, and instantly glared at him, pouting.

Without waiting for him to speak, she grabbed his hand and shoved it back into place, then pressed herself even tighter against his chest.

“I’m right here—I won’t move.”

“…”

Li Xuewu stared helplessly at the girl in his arms, thinking: Shouldn’t that be my line!?

“Good morning, Director Li.”

“Good morning, Comrade Zhou, Secretary Li.”

The nanny, Lu Jie, had prepared breakfast and greeted Li Huaide and Zhou Miaomiao at the door.

Li Huaide took off his scarf in the foyer and complained to Li Xuewu, who stood by the dining room door: “If it weren’t for Teacher Wu, we’d probably skip breakfast altogether.”

“You’re too kind.”

Li Xuewu smiled and gestured him toward the dining room, explaining, “She stayed up late tossing and turning, so she can’t get up in the morning.”

“That’s tough.”

Li Huaide nodded understandingly, patted Li Xuewu’s arm as he reached the dining room door, and said, “You should show her more consideration.”

“Yes.”

Li Xuewu replied, then turned to Zhou Miaomiao, who had followed, and asked with a smile: “Any dietary restrictions? I forgot to ask last night.”

“You don’t need to be so polite.”

Zhou Miaomiao bowed slightly, embarrassed, and smiled awkwardly: “Just having breakfast is already more than enough.”

“From now on, when you stay here, eat here.”

Li Xuewu paid no mind to her awkwardness or politeness, saying casually: “Tell Lu Jie or Teacher Wu what you want to eat.”

“Thank you, Deputy Director Li.”

Zhou Miaomiao followed Li Xuewu into the dining room and saw the two girls from yesterday there too; she smiled and nodded in greeting.

She didn’t understand why Li Xuewu had brought two girls here—or whether he simply didn’t care anymore.

She’d heard rumors about Li Xuewu’s womanizing, but this was the first time she’d seen it firsthand.

It was normal for a young, powerful man like him to have admirers—but to parade them around so openly still confused her.

At the table, Li Huaide, Zhou Miaomiao, and Li Haiyang sat on one side; Li Xuewu, Zhou Xiaobai, and Luo Yun sat on the other.

The breakfast was simple but not plain: corn cakes and millet porridge for staples; pickled radish peel and cold-mixed soy skin with kelp threads as cold dishes.

The two special hot dishes were braised tofu and braised sea fish, each served in small bowls and plates before the guests.

Li Huaide looked at the food in front of him and asked Li Xuewu: “Do you know any other nannies as skilled as Comrade Lu?”

“Heh, Lu Jie.”

Li Xuewu chuckled softly—he could tell Li Huaide genuinely admired Lu Jie’s cooking—and called toward the kitchen: “Director Li is praising your cooking.”

“It really is excellent.”

Li Huaide smiled and nodded as Lu Jie stepped out of the kitchen: “These corn cakes are golden yellow—weren’t they pan-fried?”

“You’re too kind, Director Li.”

Lu Jie bowed slightly in polite thanks before replying: “They’re baked in a slow oven.”

“I knew it!”

Li Huaide was an excellent eater; he might lack enthusiasm for other things, but food was his true passion.

“These corn cakes aren’t just plain cornmeal, are they? Or finer?”

He picked one up, took a bite, and raised an eyebrow: “No—it’s not just cornmeal.”

“It’s mixed with pumpkin.”

Lu Jie smiled and explained: “The cornmeal was ground finer after purchase, and a bit of wheat flour was added.”

“I knew it!”

Li Huaide grinned and gave her a thumbs-up: “Your skills are truly outstanding!”

Then he turned to Li Xuewu: “Where did you find her? She’s got real talent!”

“She’s a relative.”

Li Xuewu smiled, pushed the side dishes toward the opposite side, and explained: “Lu Jie lives on Xinzhongjie—it’s not far from my place.”

“Hmm, fine.”

Li Huaide glanced at him, nodded, and said: “Keep an eye out—if you find someone as capable as Comrade Lu, introduce me. I can’t keep relying on you forever.”

He added to Lu Jie: “If he doesn’t need you anymore, come work for me—I’ll raise your pay, not lower it.”

“Hahaha~”

Li Xuewu laughed loudly and told Lu Jie: “Keep an eye out for someone suitable and let me know—Director Li doesn’t make such requests often.”

“Thank you, Director Li.”

Lu Jie smiled, bowed, and returned to the kitchen, showing no excessive pride or excitement.

Li Huaide caught a glimpse of her expression, stared at the dishes before him, and fell into silent thought.

With this level of household skill, this mastery of cooking, and these two encounters with her demeanor—if she were just some relative Wu Shuping casually brought in, he’d eat his own bowl!

This boy Li Xuewu has real depth—not hidden to the point of mystery, but to claim he has no foundation whatsoever would be pure nonsense.

He’s managed to get a university professor who’s seen the capitalist world to serve him, kept his own household’s red flag standing firm, and even his hired help is this well-mannered.

His worries and advice to him last night were clearly wasted emotion.

He naturally knew about Yu Daru’s humiliation in Li Xuewu’s office, and he was well aware that the Discipline and Supervision Joint Branch had ousted the Confidentiality Department and taken over that case.

For days he’d been observing Li Xuewu’s behavior—even when he saw Li Xuewu treat Zhuang Cangshu coldly, Li Huaide didn’t interfere.

Only last night did he take the chance to give him a few words of advice in private.

But now it seemed Li Xuewu’s agitation wasn’t about Beijing—it was tied to Jinmen.

“Director, is it too salty?”

“Oh? Oh! No~”

Li Huaide’s thoughts were interrupted by Li Xuewu’s voice; he looked up and realized he’d been holding a strand of kelp without putting it in his bowl.

“It’s delicious—crisp and refreshing.”

“Try this fish.”

Li Xuewu smiled: “I saw Lu Jie preparing it first thing this morning—it’s been braised for a long time.”

“Mm, the bones are soft.”

Li Huaide took a bite, nodded, and gestured to Zhou Miaomiao beside him.

Zhou Miaomiao eagerly picked up a large piece; when she noticed Li Xuewu watching her, she blushed and lowered her head.

“Eat more—Lu Jie made plenty.”

Li Xuewu smiled, politely encouraging Zhou Miaomiao, then offered some to Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun, and finally told Li Haiyang not to be shy.

Li Haiyang bowed politely in thanks—he was being cautious here.

Zhou Xiaobai followed his lead, took a small bite, widened her eyes in surprise, then nodded to Luo Yun, signaling it was good.

Luo Yun was still angry at her for last night’s betrayal—especially for snitching on her in Li Ge’s room.

But a true eater is honest: she accepted the gesture and began eating the fish.

After the politeness, Li Xuewu stopped fussing over them and turned to the topic of the Jinmen Trade Management Center.

Only their voices remained at the table; Zhou Miaomiao and the others dared not interrupt.

Li Huaide listened to Li Xuewu’s report while eating, occasionally responding.

When he finished detailing the Trade Management Center’s affairs, he suddenly brought up the car: “Your work at the Trade Management Center is critical—you must pay close attention and put in extra effort.”

He looked up at Li Xuewu: “You’ll be spending more time in Jinmen for work, representing our steel mill in trade matters—you should be assigned a high-end sedan.”

“Haiyang.”

He turned to Li Haiyang and said: “Order a Volga M24 for Deputy Director Li—use it as the official vehicle for the Jinmen Trade Management Center.”

At these words, not only did Li Haiyang, who was taking the order, freeze, but everyone else at the table also stared in shock.

Especially Zhou Miaomiao—she’d heard the factory’s profits were strong this year, but the budget was tight.

Especially with the new projects just launched—construction wouldn’t finish until late next year, and trial production wouldn’t begin until then.

Actual profits wouldn’t materialize until early the year after.

So while the financial reports looked impressive, the factory was struggling—and Deputy Director Li had just been talking about how to survive the harsh winter.

But now Director Li casually waved his hand and wanted to assign Li Deputy Director a high-end imported sedan used in Beijing—what’s going on here?

Can you even play like this when you’re short on money?

Zhou Xiaobai didn’t fully grasp the weight of those words; she was merely astonished by Li Xuewu’s power and authority at the steel rolling mill.

Being able to have a dedicated car assigned in Jinmen must mean he’s powerful.

As for the Volga M24, is it more luxurious than the Red Flag sedan her father uses?

Just because she didn’t understand didn’t mean Luo Yun didn’t.

Luo Yun’s family didn’t live in the Military Building; her father’s current car wasn’t even as good as the Volga M24 that Director Li had just mentioned.

Joking aside, last night she and Zhou Xiaobai had urged her to go see Li Xuewu out of youthful ignorance and recklessness.

Now that reality had set in, the “Brother Li” who played with them might be someone they never imagined—a major figure.

Leaving other things aside, she had never seen such a young deputy department-level cadre among the younger generation in the compound.

She’d never heard of any official’s child riding in a high-end sedan—anyone who used one merely borrowed it from their parents.

Li Xuewu was equally surprised by Li Huai’s generosity, but such generosity wasn’t new.

Last time, Li Huai had already suggested he replace his car and choose one himself.

He could refuse last time, and he could refuse this time—Li Xuewu wasn’t someone who chased comfort or indulged in vulgar appearances.

Just look at Old Li’s motives—it’s suspicious. Is this car ordered from Jinmen meant for Li Xuewu, or for himself?

Even if Li Xuewu came to Jinmen often, he wouldn’t need to leave a high-end sedan sitting idle here.

But Li Huai, having heard from Zhou Miaomiao that she’d been to Jinmen once, must have taken her to look at houses.

To keep a golden cage bird, you need a good cage. He knew he couldn’t stop Li Xuewu, so he put Zhou Miaomiao right in front of him—that’s hostage exchange.

Li Xuewu strongly suspected Old Li was just trying to make it easier for himself to use a car in Jinmen, so he was using Li Xuewu’s name to get another vehicle for himself.

Even if Old Li’s intentions were pure—just worried about his hard work and ordering the car for him—he still couldn’t accept it.

First, the steel rolling mill’s financial situation is dire: all projects are expanding, and next year’s big learning wave is coming—winter is approaching for the enterprise.

Second, Old Li definitely has ulterior motives—either he’s corrupting himself, or dragging Li Xuewu into corruption—this is extremely dangerous.

Third, Li Xuewu fears that if he accepts this car, he’ll be in Old Li’s debt; later, Old Li might say, “Yachts are fun too,” and then things would get messy.

Given the mill’s current state, unless he leads the Security Department to seize Andrew’s yacht, there’s no other way to get one.

But Li Xuewu firmly refuses to break the law—and he won’t break it for Old Li either!

“Speaking of picking up the car, it just reminded me…”

Li Xuewu waved his hand, signaling Li Haiyang to sit down and eat first.

He put down his chopsticks and said to Li Huai: “For our factory to develop, ties between Beijing and Jinmen must become much tighter.”

“Official commuting can’t rely solely on trains—we need cars for greater convenience.”

“Especially for business inspections and reception duties, we’d best have a high-end long-distance business vehicle to facilitate high-level talks, meetings, and office work.”

“Hmm, what are you suggesting?”

Li Huai was clearly intrigued by Li Xuewu’s words; he tilted his head slightly, urging him to continue.

“My idea is that the Jinmen Trade Management Center needs a high-end mid-size bus.”

Li Xuewu explained seriously: “It should carry about ten people, offer high comfort, convenient office conditions, and be reliable for long-distance travel.”

“Oh~ That’s a fresh idea.”

Li Huai raised an eyebrow and smiled: “If such a vehicle could ensure comfort while also being fast and convenient for intercity travel, that’s a novel approach.”

He tapped his fingers on the table and asked: “Where would we buy such a vehicle—from abroad?”

Li Huai knew well that Li Xuewu had connections in Gangcheng, especially through Ji Weidong—he suspected this idea had come from outside.

“Probably not. Even abroad, they’re rare.”

Li Xuewu smiled slightly: “I’ve set my sights on the buses that transported the delegation today.”

“The Beijing Automobile Factory’s buses?”

Li Huai frowned slightly, picturing the buses Li Xuewu meant, and shook his head: “Probably not. Capacity isn’t the issue, but comfort is.”

“I realized that too, so I paid special attention to the chassis and consulted with Chief Engineer Xia.”

Li Xuewu stood up, walked to the cabinet by the kitchen door, retrieved a file bag, pulled out a document, and returned.

Under everyone’s gaze, he placed a promotional brochure in front of Li Huai.

“What’s this…?”

Li Huai looked at the brochure—the logo on the front clearly wasn’t domestic; no Chinese factory could produce such a stylish bus.

He instantly liked its exterior design—if it truly worked as Li Xuewu described, it could be worth purchasing.

“This is just a promotional image from a bus manufacturer. What I want is this chassis.”

Li Xuewu pointed beneath the image: “Foreign bus manufacturers buy chassis and then build the bus body.”

“The chassis used here is the MB200 mid-engine chassis produced since last year by the Dutch DAF chassis factory.”

“It comes in two wheelbase versions: 5.5 meters and 6.05 meters, powered by a 180-horsepower, 11.1-liter inline-six Leyland O.680 diesel engine.”

Li Xuewu pointed to the bus on the ad page: “The designed total weight is 9.55 tons, with a rated gross weight of 16.3 tons, capable of carrying 46 passengers.”

“Hmm, so you mean we should buy the chassis too?”

Li Huai had seen all these details on the brochure—Li Xuewu was just reading it aloud; nothing remarkable.

“Coincidentally, there are such buses for sale in Gangcheng.”

Li Xuewu pointed to the sales address on the brochure and said to Li Huai: “I feared they’d refuse to sell just the chassis, so I thought we might as well buy the whole bus.”

“Oh?”

Li Huai set down the brochure, letting Zhou Miaomiao take it curiously, then asked Li Xuewu: “You plan to modify it after bringing it back?”

“Not just that.”

Li Xuewu smiled: “First, take it apart. Then modify it.”

He finished his last bite and began explaining his idea to Li Huai.

He could never fulfill Old Li’s yacht dream, but a land-based yacht was worth considering.

This kind of luxury business office bus would be useful in the factory—unlike a yacht, it wouldn’t just sit rotting in the harbor.

If you want the horse to run, you must feed it grass. Old Li had clearly lost some steam seeing Andrew’s flashy yacht.

Even if he’s a monopoly tycoon, even if he’s the top executive of a conglomerate—he still doesn’t own a yacht!

Li Xuewu couldn’t let Old Li lose his confidence in building his empire—he needed to give him a little sweetness, so he wouldn’t keep playing music and dancing.

How rare is it to find a leader who’s ambitious but incompetent, clueless about operations, yet willing to delegate?

Old Li was chosen by Li Xuewu—even if he had to coddle him, he had to make Old Li carry this burden until the storm passed.

So, balancing practicality, Li Xuewu had spent the entire morning thinking—and finally came up with this idea.

Li Xuewu deliberately didn’t mention the bus right away; instead, he began discussing the steel mill’s automotive industry development blueprint.

It was a rare chance to paint a big picture—he had to feed Old Li some motivational soup, or too many practical benefits might overwhelm him.

“First, our Antelope Jeep: from design to production, the approach has been imitation and learning.”

Li Xuewu tapped the table seriously: “If the Antelope can maintain its price while continuously innovating and steadily improving core components like the engine, I guarantee the domestic Jeep market will have a place for Red Star Antelope.”

“Hmm.”

Li Huai put down his chopsticks, thought deeply about Li Xuewu’s words, and nodded: “I understand—you’re saying the price advantage alone would keep Beijing Automobile Factory chasing us for three to five years.”

“Exactly.”

Li Xuewu continued: “Beijing Automobile Factory produces all parts in-house—they dare not adopt our supply chain model.”

“Of course.”

Li Huai leaned back in his chair and nodded: “If they tried a supply chain, they’d cut off their own hands and feet—above and policy wouldn’t allow it.”

“But our factory has none of those burdens.”

Li Xuewu spread his hands: “Just look at our existing special vehicle manufacturing—it shows the advantage.”

“We produce firewater cannon trucks, ladder trucks, demolition trucks, and light fire command vehicles.”

“Antelope patrol cars, Grassland Tiger duty vehicles, signal light command vehicles, and light armored duty vehicles—all defense and security vehicles.”

“All of these are manufactured with external assistance.”

He pointed to the promotional brochure: “Just like this bus manufacturer, our special vehicles either use purchased chassis or refurbished old vehicles—no policy pressure.”

“What are you getting at?”

Li Huai seemed to understand; his eyes darted, fingers tapping the table, recalling Li Xuewu’s words—linking them to the earlier business bus idea.

“It’s not the equipment that’s broken—it’s the outdated, decaying mindset.”

Li Xuewu tapped his own head: “Deputy Gu mentioned yesterday that mergers and acquisitions will be unavoidable. I think, like buying a car, it’s better to have one heart and two strategies.”

Li Huai glanced at him, then frowned slightly in thought and asked: “Are you suggesting we integrate our existing manufacturing capacity?”

“It’s time to make adjustments.”

Li Xuewu nodded slowly: “Earlier, I discussed this with Chief Engineer Xia Zhongquan and Deputy Jing—we need to actively handle the technologies and equipment we’ve acquired through mergers.”

“Motorcycles, right? I’ve heard about that.”

Li Huai tilted his head slightly: “Good idea. I support you—explain your earlier idea.”

“Split these people and machines in two.”

Li Xuewu slashed his palm sideways: “One part forms a motorcycle factory; the other merges into the manufacturing workshop to form a Special Vehicle Manufacturing Plant.”

“The motorcycle factory’s management philosophy mirrors the Jeep factory: ultra-low-price production to gradually penetrate the consumer market.”

“But the Special Vehicle Manufacturing Plant is different—it must prioritize excellence in quality and safe production to manufacture specialized vehicles.”

“Including current fire, security, and civilian development directions—fire and security vehicles must achieve distinctive chassis designs.”

“To fully ensure independent manufacturing and R&D capabilities, reducing the risk of future plagiarism and being surpassed.”

“The civilian market is gradually expanding, focusing primarily on business office vehicles and commuter freight vehicles.”

Li Xuewu pointed at the color brochure in Zhou Miaomiao’s hand and said: “When I say dissect it, I mean to fully understand its structure and technology so we can develop our own passenger vehicle chassis.”

“Independently develop business office vehicles, with the core philosophy of saving public vehicle usage and breaking down communication barriers.”

“Hehe~”

Li Huaide chuckled softly, nodding at Li Xuewu: “You never take a loss—even when you buy someone else’s car, you still find a way to profit.”

“When poor, one’s ambitions shrink; when a horse is thin, its hair grows long.”

Li Xuewu smiled broadly and said: “Of course, this only applies domestically. If I tried it abroad, they’d sue me.”

“That’s actually our advantage! Haha!”

Li Huaide smiled and waved him on: “Keep going—tell me more about these special vehicles.”

“Mainly for office commuting—I mentioned this to you before: eight- and nine-seat small passenger vehicles.”

Li Xuewu grinned: “Abroad, they call them ‘bread vans’—the kind so packed they look like loaves of bread.”

“Mm, I remember.”

Li Huaide nodded: “Are you planning to launch it now? Isn’t that a bit early?”

“We need to prepare, but no rush to launch.”

Li Xuewu explained: “The Technical Office has already started this project. We should have results by late next year.”

“Also included is a dual-purpose passenger-freight tricycle, based on motorcycle manufacturing facilities and aided by the Hongxing Lingyang R&D technology.”

This was the first time Li Xuewu had presented Li Huaide with a comprehensive plan for the development of the automotive industry.

Li Xuewu stated that all technical and production plans were underway; once the Hongxing Lingyang Jeep and motorcycles opened the market, the small passenger cars and tricycles would follow in sequence, rolling out steadily.

With guaranteed production of these four low-cost vehicles, supplemented by high-end special vehicles like business office cars and fire trucks, the automotive industry’s profits would fully support R&D and talent reserves.

What the current automotive industry needed most was talent and technological reserves. Li Xuewu had gone to great lengths to raise funds and liaise with universities, all to avoid being strangled by others.

For the current state of R&D, cost-cutting was unacceptable—expansion was mandatory.

Even if Li Huaide called him stingy, calculating, or unwilling to take a loss, it didn’t matter—just as he joked himself: when poor, one’s ambitions shrink; when a horse is thin, its hair grows long.

“Forget about a personal office vehicle for me.”

Li Xuewu smiled, lightly tapped the desk, glanced at Li Haiyang, and said to Li Huaide: “First, get one business passenger vehicle—that’s the urgent need.”

“My car? I’ll just fix up an old one later. I barely use it here anyway.”

“Ah~”

Li Huaide sighed, then looked at Li Xuewu with a touch of guilt: “You’re really putting yourself through hardship. If all our factory cadres were as selfless as you, how could we possibly fail to achieve our groupization goals sooner?”

If you’d just stop wasting my resources, I’d have everything I need!

“You flatter me—I think everything’s fine.”

Li Xuewu smiled inwardly but said aloud: “It’ll only be hard for a few years—I refuse to believe our factory will stay poor and suffer forever.”

“I believe that under your leadership, by sticking to independent innovation, technological advancement, and foreign trade, the steel mill’s future will be brilliant and limitless.”

“Hmm. Just that one sentence is worth more than ten thousand difficulties!”

Li Huaide nodded solemnly: “Hard work, self-reliance—we’re on the right path.”

Li Xuewu saw that Old Li was fired up again—the motivational soup had sunk in; he’d truly internalized the lesson that hardship comes before reward.

Arranging the high-end business passenger vehicle could wait—it wasn’t a big deal.

At least it was far better than buying a Volga M24!

He looked like a helpless father watching his wastrel son—having talked him out of buying a Ferrari and settled for a tractor, he now wore a satisfied smile.

Zhou Xiaobai glanced at them, confused, unsure what had happened—but thought, Brother Li is amazing!

A cadre so uninterested in fame or luxury was exactly how she defined an ideal organization.

But Zhou Miaomiao, sitting across from him, thought differently. Looking at the brochure in her hand, then at Li Huaide, completely won over by Li Xuewu’s persuasion, her heart skipped a beat.

Had she gotten too full of herself lately? Had she failed to notice Deputy Director Li’s attitude?

Had she done too much for Director Li? Had she triggered Deputy Director Li’s nerves?

Knowing Old Li well, and observing today’s reaction toward Li Xuewu, she re-examined the entire scene from the outside—watching how Director Li drank the motivational potion.

She thought she was charming enough in Old Li’s eyes—yet Deputy Director Li was even better at “charming.”

She feared she’d offended Deputy Director Li. If Old Li got too deeply fooled, he might sacrifice her to make amends.

Zhou Miaomiao quickly put down the brochure, smiling sweetly at Li Xuewu, her eyes repeatedly sweeping over his face with admiration.

She silently chanted: Can’t offend him, can’t offend him, can’t offend him~

Li Haiyang was far smarter—he saw Deputy Director Li unveil another masterclass in indirect flattery, and immediately pulled out his notebook to update “The Complete Collection of Deputy Director Li’s Brilliant Remarks.”

There are only two kinds of flattery in this world: Deputy Director Li’s flattery, and everyone else’s.