Chapter 975: Prophetic Insight

"Deputy Director Li"

After the pleasantries, Xu Si took the initiative to step forward and remind him: "Lunch is already prepared."

"That's good, let's eat first."

Li Xuewu smiled and made a gesture of invitation to Andrew and the others, then led everyone into the hall together with Xu Si.

The shipyard's attitude toward their "God of Wealth" was naturally excellent, and the standard of the meal prepared was as high as possible.

Yingcheng is coastal, so seafood was naturally indispensable, but the table featured not only seafood but also mountain delicacies.

Because Yingcheng also borders mountains, the dining table truly interpreted the essence of "relying on the mountains to eat from the mountains, and relying on the sea to eat from the sea."

Zhou Xiaobai and the others, as accompanying personnel, were arranged in other rooms, though the food was the same.

Together with Luo Yun, they instantly transformed into little foodies; furthermore, since they were unfamiliar with the people in the delegation, they didn't need to worry about saving face.

Zhou Miaomiao took the initiative to pick up some crab for the two of them, smiling as she explained how the crabs in Yingcheng were different.

Zhou Xiaobai glanced at her with some surprise, looked at the crab on the plate, and thanked her softly.

Luo Yun, however, was more direct; she didn't even look at Zhou Miaomiao, nor did she pay any attention to the crab on her plate.

Others at the table glanced over, but no one said much, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.

However, Zhou Miaomiao was, after all, a few years older than the two of them and understood that young girls at this age were not easy to handle.

Since this girl named Zhou Xiaobai was willing to talk, she would start with her.

A single crab broke the barrier of communication between the two, and starting from the fact that they both shared the surname Zhou, they began chatting about their own learning experiences.

Zhou Xiaobai was not as cautious as Luo Yun; since Zhou Miaomiao took the initiative to communicate, she would also chime in from time to time.

During the meal, Peng Xiaoli came over to ask if they wanted to rest after eating or if they wanted to go for a tour of Yingcheng.

Zhou Xiaobai asked about Li Xuewu's arrangements, but Peng Xiaoli just smiled and said that the leaders had a meeting in the afternoon and also had to inspect the site.

Zhou Miaomiao understood the implication in Peng Xiaoli's words and took the initiative to ask if it would be convenient to go to Yingcheng.

Peng Xiaoli glanced at her and explained with a smile that Secretary Xiao Liu, from Director Xu of the shipyard, would arrange a driver to take them to play in Yingcheng.

Zhou Miaomiao understood then that there was nothing left for them to do at the shipyard, so she took the initiative to invite Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun to tour Yingcheng together.

Luo Yun glanced at Peng Xiaoli; she didn't trust Zhou Miaomiao, but she knew that Li Xuewu's secretary wouldn't dare to harm them.

When Zhou Xiaobai hesitated and nodded in agreement, she didn't object either, only stating that neither she nor Xiaobai had brought any money or ration coupons when they came out.

It was at this moment that one could see why Li Huai De liked Zhou Miaomiao and chose to keep her by his side.

The two young girls directly expressed that they were short on funds; she didn't offer favors proactively but instead looked at Peng Xiaoli.

Peng Xiaoli whispered to the two of them, explaining that the leader had made arrangements and that they should just have a good time.

After Peng Xiaoli finished giving instructions, Zhou Miaomiao then took the initiative to tell Zhou Xiaobai that while the goods in Yingcheng were naturally not as comprehensive as those in Jingcheng, they did have their own unique features.

She also indicated that they wouldn't go to particularly expensive shopping malls, just wander around and see the scenery of Yingcheng.

Peng Xiaoli's gaze swept over Zhou Miaomiao, and then he said that the leader had also prepared a portion for her and asked her to help the leader purchase some children's toys.

Zhou Miaomiao smiled and agreed, saying that no matter where the leader went, he never forgot his daughter; the last time they went to Yangcheng, she saw the leader buy a lot of toys.

After Peng Xiaoli left, she chatted quietly with Zhou Xiaobai about what they were going to buy later, which made Luo Yun grimace.

They weren't three or five-year-old children anymore; even if she felt uncomfortable inside, she wouldn't pull Zhou Xiaobai away and prevent her from interacting with others.

It was just that watching Zhou Miaomiao deliberately approach Zhou Xiaobai with ulterior motives made her feel both pathetic and pitiful.

You stand on the bridge watching the scenery, but you don't know that the person watching the scenery is also watching you from the building.

You think the person taking the initiative to socialize is pathetic, but you don't know that they find your feigned reserve pitiful.

In the world of women, the law that a triangle is the most stable relationship never exists, because three women make a play.

Men are different; two people sitting together might be a bit awkward, but three people can play "Fight the Landlord"!

Because of the presence of foreign merchants like Andrew at noon, there was no alcohol on the dining table.

The meal was very sumptuous, and everyone chatted while eating; although it lacked the fervor of a drinking table, it was relaxed.

After lunch, everyone followed the shipyard's arrangements and found places to rest.

Liu Zhaolun, Gao Yaqin, and Zhou Gancheng gathered together without needing to be called.

They had already lost the high spirits they had when boarding the ship, and their stern faces when disembarking revealed even more inner unrest.

Especially watching Li Xuewu's carefree and casual demeanor as he directed the situation, frost was about to condense on their faces.

Even if the lunch was sumptuous, it couldn't smooth over the waves in their hearts.

"Ahem~"

In the small lounge, the three were silent for a long time, neither having the intention to be the first to speak.

Liu Zhaolun was the most tormented inside; he looked at Gao Yaqin and then at Zhou Gancheng, unable to hold back any longer.

He coughed twice before speaking: "Is... is that plan feasible~"

Zhou Gancheng glanced at Gao Yaqin and then fixed his gaze on Liu Zhaolun's face, waiting for him to continue.

Gao Yaqin's expression was calm; she also had no intention of taking the bait, crossing her arms and pursing her lips with her head lowered.

"I'm having second thoughts."

Liu Zhaolun lit a cigarette for himself with a worried look and said, "I agreed too quickly at the time."

"What do you mean?"

Gao Yaqin raised her eyebrows; after looking at Liu Zhaolun, her gaze shifted to Zhou Gancheng.

Zhou Gancheng signaled to Liu Zhaolun, meaning he should finish what he was saying.

The three of them each represented their own interests; now forced to sit together, the things they had to do ran counter to their respective goals.

Therefore, even though they were sitting together, they were "in the same bed but dreaming different dreams," each harboring their own ulterior motives.

Liu Zhaolun saying this naturally meant he wanted to back out, fearing karmic retribution and future retaliation.

But he couldn't be the first to express such an intention; doing so would offend the other two, and even more so, offend Li Xuewu.

He didn't want to offend the person laying out the plan behind the scenes, and even less did he want to offend the person breaking the plan.

He even had to consider the opinions of the other two who were in the same boat.

So he said he was having second thoughts, that he had been intimidated by Li Xuewu on the ship and agreed too quickly, and expressed doubt about the plan.

If the other two also had second thoughts, then they would all act together; it would be fine to offend anyone, as long as one person wasn't carrying the burden alone.

But the other two didn't see any significance in his line of thinking.

Seeing him stammering and unable to speak, Gao Yaqin couldn't hold back her anger and sprayed, "You want to hide now, isn't it a bit too late?"

Ignoring Liu Zhaolun's suddenly changing expression, she pointed out the essence of the problem mercilessly: "If the ship sinks, you're finished too!"

Yes, everyone was on the ship at the time; they only agreed because they felt the same way.

It was just that things weren't like they were now; Li Xuewu's tyrannical image had put too much psychological pressure on him, and now that they were ashore, it had naturally lessened a lot.

Furthermore, if the three of them joined forces to kick Li Xuewu off the ship first and resolve this matter quickly, what would the result be?

Obviously, Gao Yaqin was unwilling.

Facing Liu Zhaolun's silence, Gao Yaqin drooped her eyelids and glanced at him with great disdain, saying: "Don't think about playing little tricks behind the scenes."

"Also, you have to know."

She tapped her feet and reminded him with slightly narrowed eyes: "This is Yingcheng, the shipyard, it's the Steel Mill's territory."

"I shouldn't have gotten involved if I had known!"

Liu Zhaolun was getting anxious from her words; he took a puff of his cigarette in frustration and impatiently stubbed out the half-finished butt.

Gao Yaqin didn't indulge him, saying in a chilling tone: "You're still unwilling? Did I, the one taking the blame, say anything first?"

She crossed her arms and legs, scanned Liu Zhaolun up and down, and asked: "How about you come and play my role?"

After a pause, she added with a disdainful pout: "I actually wanted to be the positive character!"

"Do you think I'm willing?!"

Liu Zhaolun patted his chest and questioned: "Did I beg for this! Am I that proactive?!"

Of course he wasn't willing; in the plan Li Xuewu described, he was the positive character, the key link to setting things right and turning the tide.

But!

The more upright and positive he was in this plan, the more he was a "shit-stirrer" and the bastard who flipped the table in the layout of the person behind the scenes.

He was just too damn righteous, so righteous that the other side wanted to "sacrifice" him.

Actually, it was just the threats Li Xuewu made on the ship; now it wasn't Li Xuewu doing it, but he had to complete it instead.

A lone hero, huh!

Seeing him so fond of acting, Li Xuewu gave him this opportunity to be the "big shot" and the "conscience."

It just wasn't that radical; he was to provide feedback on the issues to the Ministry of Industry and to higher levels through work relationships.

Doing so was compliant and reasonable, avoiding direct confrontation and sensitive areas.

Being a hero comes with a price; just think, even the existence that Zhou Gancheng's superiors had to fear, where would he find the determination to set things right?

Zhou Gancheng saw his inner hesitation and torment; even at the lunch table just now, Liu Zhaolun's brow hadn't relaxed.

No one had eaten well at lunch; the more they saw Li Xuewu's heroism, the more they felt they were at a loss.

How did they end up on this boat!

This wasn't a yacht; this was clearly a pirate ship!

"How about we switch?"

Zhou Gancheng raised his eyebrows and said to Liu Zhaolun: "If you think the part about you in the plan is too bright, I actually don't want to play the role of the undercover agent and the traitor shooting from the shadows either."

"..."

Liu Zhaolun looked at him speechlessly, picked up the half-finished cigarette butt from the ashtray, and lit it again.

He didn't want to talk now, and even less did he want to talk to these two people; he was speechless to death.

In this plan, none of the three of them were good people!

After another long while, having finished the half-cigarette, Liu Zhaolun still asked unconvinced: "So it's just fulfilling him, right?!"

That's exactly it; Li Xuewu threw out this plan just to let the three of them play a "triangular formation" so he could hide himself.

All the pressure was borne by the three of them; Li Xuewu was now the "big shot," easily going to talk about cooperation with foreign merchants.

What kind of nonsense is this!

"Otherwise?"

Gao Yaqin asked back unpleasantly: "Let him break the pot and smash it, and then we all finish?"

She sneered: "Since things have already reached this point, it's better to be proactive and resolve this matter."

"I just don't believe it!"

Liu Zhaolun stubbed out the cigarette butt and said angrily: "I don't believe he dares to burn the boats!"

"Hmm~ hmm~"

Zhou Gancheng narrowed his eyes and said: "I don't believe it either, but, do you dare to bet?"

Don't look at how excited Liu Zhaolun was; he was sitting there motionless, with no intention of getting up to deal with Li Xuewu at all.

Of the three people here, which one wasn't the cream of the crop in their unit? What couldn't they see clearly?

What Li Xuewu wanted to do and what kind of layout he had, they could tell at a glance.

But conspiracies can be broken; how do you break an open plot?

He laid it out deliberately, clearly trapping the three of them; is it possible not to agree?

It is possible, but the other two can, but he, Zhou Gancheng, cannot.

If the ship sinks, the other two can at most find another place to seek a higher position, or wait for the next round of opportunities to start over.

But him?

Career opportunities can start over, but can life start over?

He hadn't heard of anyone who could come back from the dead!

Even if there were, it wouldn't fall on him; by then, there wouldn't even be ashes left of him.

Liu Zhaolun naturally understood; looking at the current situation, neither of them had any intention of resisting Li Xuewu's plan.

He asked somewhat helplessly: "Even if he is a divine strategist, what can he do even if he really drags out the person behind the scenes?"

"Could it be...?"

Liu Zhaolun scanned the two with hanging eyes and asked: "Actually, he still has a backup plan?"

"That's hard to say~"

Zhou Gancheng rubbed the gauze on his forehead with some fatigue; he didn't control his strength, and it made him grimace in pain.

"I won't go into detail about his background relationships with you, but what I can be sure of is that he is tougher than you think."

"Setting aside the background relationships, just from this matter alone,"

Gao Yaqin looked at Liu Zhaolun and asked: "Do you think the Steel Mill will abandon him? Will Li Huai De abandon him?"

Her expression was somewhat gloomy as she said: "I haven't even mentioned his other identity; mutual protection, solid as a rock."

They naturally knew Li Xuewu's other identity: First Deputy Political Commissar and Deputy Regiment Commander of the Third Regiment of the Garrison District; it wasn't conspicuous, but it was a truly "awesome" existence.

A cadre with this kind of identity who could also hold a position in a local factory was not a simple character.

Not to mention the background relationships of Li Xuewu that Zhou Gancheng had vaguely mentioned.

Who was Li Xuewu's father-in-law? They hadn't even disembarked yet; a little mention and everyone knew.

After disembarking, they also knew who the father of that girl named Zhou Xiaobai was.

This matter was really "dry"!

Just say, why would the daughter of a Deputy Commander of a major Jingcheng region run around with him for no reason!

The moment they learned of Zhou Xiaobai's identity, all three of them were breaking out in a cold sweat on their backs.

Li Xuewu really wasn't intimidating them on the ship; if they had linked Li Xuewu with foreign affairs risks, then Zhou Xiaobai, who was traveling with them, would also be implicated.

By then, who among them would have the ability to untangle Zhou Xiaobai's problem, and how could they resist Li Xuewu's counterattack?

Everyone said Li Xuewu was from an ordinary family, a typical example of a prodigal son returning, a representative of youth and talent.

Do you dare to believe that?!

Liu Zhaolun's peripheral vision caught a figure flashing past the doorway; he was sure it was Li Xuewu's secretary, Peng Xiaoli.

He knew that Li Xuewu, who came from a security background, wouldn't let them disappear from his sight so easily.

Think about the cases Li Xuewu had handled before; he could even catch lurking Japanese agents, so what were they?

Such a ruthless person shouldn't be so young; the kind you would underestimate just by looking at him!

Damn habit of judging people!

Since this path was blocked, the three of them didn't hesitate anymore; they each went out and found a phone to report back to Jingcheng.

There was no other way; when people are under the eaves, they have to bow their heads; they could only act according to Li Xuewu's plan!

The brothers Shuke and Beta once said: what is easy to achieve cannot be called a dream, what is easily given up cannot be called a promise; to succeed, one must dare to challenge; if shipbuilding cannot walk out of the vicious circle, the shipyard will always be a joke.

During the planned economy period, the overall development of the shipbuilding industry could be seen at a glance from the annual tonnage growth.

The current economic focus was on land; there was no ability to develop the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea line yet.

Therefore, several large shipyards in the interior were either serving warships or developing in obscurity.

It was rare for a shipyard like Yingcheng Shipyard to actively seek advanced foreign technology and realize OEM production.

Li Xuewu, wearing a woolen overcoat, and Andrew walked in front, with Xu Si, who was introducing the shipyard's situation, on one side.

Liu Zhaolun and other accompanying personnel followed behind, looking at the site while discussing the inspection situation.

An engineering team led by Xia Zhongquan, Chief Engineer of the Steel Mill, Zhao Hongtu, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Shipyard, and David, Chief Engineer of the Jilixing Company, had already arrived at the site in advance.

They were pointing and discussing at the shipping wharf; this time they had to survey the yacht manufacturing wharf and determine the engineering machinery and human resources.

To ensure the integrity of the shipbuilding process and the stability of the construction period, these situations had to be written into the contract.

There were clerks holding blueprints, helping the engineers mark the locations and data they wanted to see.

Zhou Miaomiao and the three also came out of the shipyard office area together; they first took photos by the sea with the crowd, then boarded a vehicle and were arranged by Xiao Liu to go into the city.

"Actually, Yingcheng has never lacked shipbuilding genes since ancient times."

Li Xuewu raised his hand to signal to the vast sea and introduced to Andrew beside him: "When it comes to conquering the sea, we are not later than Italy, and perhaps even earlier."

The crowd stood still on the wharf, looking down, the shipbuilding dock was in full view; looking into the distance, it was the "starry sea" waiting to be conquered.

"The shipyard under our feet is still very young; from the project approval to where you are standing, it has only been a mere dozen years."

Li Xuewu pointed to the river mouth not far away and said with a smile: "The old people here told me that this used to be a mudflat; once you walked in, you couldn't get out."

"This side is close to the river mouth, with reeds everywhere, ponds, and puddles; frogs and crabs were jumping everywhere."

He turned back and pointed to the factory buildings covering tens of thousands of square meters that had already been built, sighing: "Without heavy machinery, without an efficient engineering team, you can imagine this kind of tenacious perseverance, right?"

Andrew clicked his tongue as he scanned the buildings not far away; looking at the surrounding environment, he had some feelings under Li Xuewu's introduction.

"The first big difficulty for workers entering the construction site was food, housing, and water."

Li Xuewu frowned slightly as he introduced: "The saline-alkali water underground here cannot be used for construction or daily life, so we had to use trucks to haul water from far away in the city."

"Of course,"

He smiled and said: "Now the water problem has been solved; it's connected by water pipes."

"Think about it, how hard it was for those who pioneered the factory construction; reeds could even grow in the temporary sheds."

"Due to the low-lying terrain, the house foundations were built low and easily flooded; the foundations could only be piled high with soil, compacted by road rollers, made into artificial foundations, and then foundations were built on the backfilled soil."

Li Xuewu stood on the wharf, looking at the factory area and office area, nodding slightly: "Our workers are the most lovable people, and they have the courage and perseverance to 'dare to call the heavens to change their appearance'."

"That's why I chose this place."

Andrew understood Li Xuewu's implication and nodded affirmatively with a smile.

Seeing him say this, Li Xuewu also smiled and said: "Cooperation is for mutual benefit; at least the goal is consistent."

He turned back and signaled to the dock under his feet, saying: "Yingcheng Shipyard has deep development potential; you can tell from the dock we built."

"Ten-thousand-ton giant ships~"

Andrew nodded with a smile and said very understandingly: "The standard transport capacity in the current international shipping market; Hong Kong is also developing giant ship economics."

"This must be the trend of the future!"

Li Xuewu pointed his finger at him and said affirmatively: "Believe me, our factory possesses a vision and ideology not inferior to international leaders!"

"What you see is a ten-thousand-ton ship manufacturing dock."

He pointed his finger below and said seriously: "What I see is that ten-thousand-ton standard giant ships appear in batches, which can drive the circulation of how many commodities, and even more, drive the development of how much economy."

"Conversely,"

Li Xuewu pointed his finger at Xu Si again and said: "The manufacturing capacity of ten-thousand-ton giant ships represents the future and development of the shipyard."

"In other words, we have the ability to build bigger ships, more ships, and have more confidence and ability to manufacture smaller, more luxurious ships."

"Please rest assured on this point."

Xu Si saw Li Xuewu hand the conversation over to him and nodded affirmatively: "China has an old saying: 'Without diamond drills, don't take on porcelain work'."

"Yingcheng Shipyard's existing technical reserves, human reserves, and material reserves fully satisfy future high-speed development."

As he spoke, he signaled to the dock under his feet and the machine processing workshop in the distance, saying: "The existing production capacity has not reached its peak; just as Deputy Director Li said, the shipyard's potential is limitless."

"I understand."

Andrew nodded; as far as the eye could see, everything was ready, only waiting for the east wind.

He signaled to several docks in the shipyard and asked Xu Si: "Is there a production plan for next year?"

"In the next three years, or even five years,"

Xu Si smiled confidently and nodded: "Actually, the machine processing workshop is already producing without stopping."

"It's just that this year is the first winter, so a lot of work hasn't had time to unfold, and no new ships have been built in the dock."

"But!"

He said very definitely: "All procedures that can carry out production work are already carrying out workpiece reserves, just waiting for spring to start formal production."

"Standard part construction mode?"

Andrew glanced at Xu Si with some surprise, then threw the question to Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu smiled slightly, looked at the sea, and said: "Just like producing cars, we want to produce ships quickly."

"Terrifying~"

Andrew shook his head slightly and asked: "Even if your dock is big enough and the fishing boats are small enough, if six or ten ships start construction at the same time, how fast can it be?"

"You should believe in us."

Li Xuewu smiled and pointed to the cable facilities laid around the dock and the high-standing lighthouses: "In your view, a day has 24 hours, but in our view, a day only has 24 hours."

"Impossible~"

Andrew shook his head with a stern face and said: "You cannot arrange for workers to work continuously for 24 hours."

"Why?"

Li Xuewu smiled and spread his hands, saying: "What limits us can be mechanical equipment, can be technical ability, but it is absolutely not effort."

"No! It's not a question of effort!"

Andrew shook his head slightly and said: "You have to know, the efficiency of night construction is low, and overtime work is also a burden on the workers' bodies and the machinery itself."

"These are not problems."

Xu Si said firmly: "We have planned a three-shift engineering management mode, with 24-hour continuous construction operations."

He patted the iron railing on the wharf and said with pursed lips and determination: "Time waits for no one; this big ship, the shipyard, must start moving."

The Steel Mill hadn't given a definite start time, but every day that passed at the shipyard, the pressure on them increased by one point.

Especially the pressure from Li Xuewu; he had urged the shipyard more than once to realize the laying of the first keel as soon as possible.

The reason the shipyard was constructing continuously this winter, and had even started partial machine processing production, was Li Xuewu's requirement.

Give people if they need people, give money if they need money, give equipment if they need equipment, give materials if they need materials.

As long as the shipyard needed it, and as long as the Steel Mill could mobilize it, Li Xuewu gave it to Xu Si.

Now all the pressure was on Xu Si; only when he saw the first ship launched for sea trials would he be able to relax.

Therefore, continuous construction was Yingcheng Shipyard's own choice, and also an inevitable choice.

The factory, originally planned for about 3,000 people, was now applying to increase to a large shipyard of 8,000 or even 10,000 people.

The advanced experience from Bincheng Shipyard told him that to realize production quickly, under the premise that current mechanical equipment was not perfect, he had to "pile up people."

Skilled workers needed time and engineering volume to hone; for a new shipyard, this was even more of a challenge.

The first batch of technical workers selected by Yingcheng Shipyard had already gone to Bincheng Shipyard to study and train.

Next month, they would organize a second batch, a third batch, and even a fourth batch...

Xu Si told Andrew about Yingcheng Shipyard's technical reserve capacity, mainly derived from the shipyard itself; others included Bincheng Shipping, the Steel Mill, the Steelworks, and Huaqing University, etc.

And talent cultivation and mechanical transformation capabilities had to rely more on the shipyard's own development and progress, driving new opportunities and creating new capabilities.

Andrew was silent for a long time after hearing this, sighing slightly: "Even so, my engineering team and technical worker team cannot work in 24-hour shifts."

He looked at the team surveying the site in the dock and said very seriously: "In the West, this level of labor was a long time ago; I understand the demands of developing countries."

"But,"

Andrew shook his head slightly and said: "Our company cannot do this yet."

"We don't force it."

Li Xuewu smiled and said to Andrew: "We advocate self-reliance and arduous struggle, including the current shipyard, and even the steelworks, steel mill, car factory, etc."

"I can only say that your future will definitely be limitless."

Andrew was very satisfied with this kind of labor and management mode, and even more satisfied with the workers' demand for development.

In his factory, if he let workers work like this, he would be on the gallows.

Not to mention being boycotted by the industry, even the ships built would be boycotted by society.

The Western world does not allow the existence of "roll kings" (overachievers).

The atmosphere on the wharf was harmonious and mutually respectful, but the dock area below the wharf was not so harmonious.

The Chief Engineer of Jilixing had a very intense attitude, with the help of a translator, discussing with Zhao Hongtu, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Shipyard, which dock they should use as a dedicated yacht production dock to facilitate subsequent design, construction, and transformation.

Yingcheng Shipyard had four docks—three big and one small; according to Zhao Hongtu, they should be given the small one to facilitate yacht construction.

But David didn't agree; he wanted a big one so that multiple ships could be constructed simultaneously, which was fast, convenient, and saved engineering time.

Andrew listened to the argument below and glanced at Li Xuewu meaningfully.

But Li Xuewu didn't care about the argument between the technical personnel below; he pointed his finger at the luxury yacht parked at the distant wharf and asked about Italy's shipbuilding environment.

"Actually, it's not as healthy as your shipbuilding industry."

Andrew spread his hands helplessly and introduced: "Although Italy's coastline is not as long as your country's, there are definitely more shipyards than in your country."

"I'm not comparing or being proud."

He raised his eyebrows and looked at Li Xuewu seriously, asking: "You can understand what I mean, right?"

"Understood, fierce competition."

Li Xuewu smiled slightly and said: "Just like in your developed countries, there are many fat people, but most are poor, which is unhealthy; there are few thin people, but they are the privilege of the rich; it's just the opposite here."

"Hahaha~"

Andrew smiled and waved his hand; although it was surprising to say it this way, when he thought about it carefully, it seemed to make some sense.

Saying the interior shipbuilding environment is healthy and the competition pressure is low—isn't that because the interior currently lacks shipbuilding capacity and development potential?

Saying one word, "poor," is not an exaggeration.

Italy is very wealthy, but the shipyards are bloated, competition is fierce, costs remain high, and the shipbuilding environment is unhealthy.

He shook his head slightly and smiled bitterly: "Do you know the purpose of my father sending me this yacht?"

"Actually, it's a helpless move!"

He sighed heavily and nodded: "If the competition pressure wasn't high, why would I travel thousands of miles to develop in Asia and cooperate with you, right?"

"Hehe, there are pros and cons."

Li Xuewu smiled and said: "Fierce competition represents the acceleration of technical updates and iterations; whoever masters advanced technology first earns the first pot of gold."

"That's exactly it."

Andrew nodded, pointed his finger at the machine processing workshop, and said: "Building such a large workshop like you did, I wouldn't dare to think about it; it's too wasteful."

He turned back to look at his yacht and said: "More funds in our family's shipyard are used for technical research and development and maintaining a leading advantage."

"So, you have to take another path, right?"

Li Xuewu smiled and pointed to the ground under his feet, saying: "With a technical advantage that isn't considered leading, seek ultra-low-cost manufacturing processes and opportunities, and probe the sales space for yachts downward."

"Hahaha!"

Andrew didn't care at all about Li Xuewu's words; he laughed and nodded: "This is also the basis for me to come and talk to you about cooperation!"

"Exactly!"

Li Xuewu also smiled and said: "We need technology, we need orders, we need this job; this is a win-win for us!"

"I like this way of thinking of yours!"

Andrew pointed at Li Xuewu and smiled: "I haven't seen many young people with your thinking ability, and even more so with such pioneering and advanced management."

"You flatter me~"

Li Xuewu smiled and shook his head, saying: "Here, people like me are everywhere; you can grab a handful."

"Hahaha!"

Andrew obviously didn't believe Li Xuewu's words; he knew that Chinese people like to be modest and don't like to show off.

Although he hadn't been in contact with Li Xuewu for a long time and not many times, his judgment of people was still very accurate.

Rather than saying he was investing in Yingcheng Shipyard, it would be better to say he was investing in Li Xuewu.

He looked at the distant sea and sighed: "Now it's just building small yachts; in the future, there will be big yachts."

"Just like that one of mine."

Andrew smiled and pointed to his yacht for Li Xuewu; the implication was so profound that even the accompanying cadres behind him could hear it.

Li Xuewu stood there with Xu Si accompanying the Italians to blow the sea breeze, brag, and play word games; the purpose was as impure as it could be.

And this "old guy" from Italy who could cross the ocean to Asia to roam the world wasn't a fool either; his answers were impeccable, and he even pointed out Li Xuewu's little intention of "stealing the teacher's skills."

Li Xuewu didn't care, just as Andrew didn't care about being seen through.

"Can you talk about the shipbuilding situation in Hong Kong?"

He smiled and signaled to Xu Si and the others: "We are stuck here and want to understand the outside world, including the 'ghosts' opposite and the 'difficult Koreans'."

"..."

Forget it! This wasn't just "stealing the teacher's skills"; it was also "harboring evil intentions," wanting to learn everything and then starve the teacher to death!

After finishing the site inspection and returning, the sky was already dark, and everyone was shivering in the sea breeze.

But seeing the atmosphere of the engineering team's argument was still very intense, it was as if they weren't cold at all.

Before dinner, the shipyard arranged a discussion meeting to facilitate all parties to express their opinions.

As soon as the meeting started, the engineering representatives of both sides began to speak actively, determined to create more favorable advantages for the subsequent business negotiations.

The main focus of the initial argument was the choice of dock and the investment in technical equipment.

The opinion given by Yingcheng Shipyard was that the requirements put forward by the other side were too excessive!

Independent personnel management for the project department, independent material management, independent equipment management—isn't this equivalent to selling the factory!

The opinion of Deputy Chief Engineer Zhao Hongtu was that such a management method would cause waste of technical equipment and manpower.

They should stand from the perspective of Yingcheng Shipyard to coordinate all forces.

The explanation given by Jilixing was that an independent project department needed independent rights; they were worried that the shipyard would use these conditions to threaten them later in the cooperation.

Even if the shipyard wouldn't actively threaten them, if they encountered emergencies or force majeure factors and refused to provide construction forces, wouldn't they lose out?

From this problem, the focus of both sides gradually expanded from shipbuilding technology to all levels of problems; the key points were picked one by one, calculated one by one, and no one intended to let anyone else off.

This thing is like war and negotiation; war is for better negotiation, so the harder the fight, the easier the negotiation.

Do you see Li Xuewu and Andrew participating or mediating?

Arguing doesn't hurt the body; isn't spending money to raise people just for this?

Xu Si was old and cunning; only when the problem was argued enough did he stand out as a peacemaker, mentioning that dinner was ready, to eat first, and then talk about this after eating.

The engineers at Yingcheng Shipyard were still indignant, but look at those engineers from Jilixing Shipyard.

As soon as they said the meeting was dismissed, these guys instantly took off their hateful faces and showed friendliness toward the shipyard's hospitality.

This confused the people at the shipyard; they didn't know what kind of routine the other side was playing.

It was Xu Si who explained privately that they were all working for capitalists; work is work, and life is life.

The salary is just that much; there's no need to be petty at work and glare at each other in life.

This made Zhao Hongtu and others, who had been tit-for-tat, deflate, feeling that the argument just now was more like a farce.

They are all "workers," what's the point of competing!

Today's dinner was still very sumptuous; mountain delicacies and seafood weren't too fierce, but they still had a unique flavor.

Because they had been blowing the sea breeze all afternoon and arguing all afternoon, everyone was tired.

Especially the three of Liu Zhaolun; they had fire in their hearts at noon and didn't eat their fill, and were hungry all afternoon; they had to make up for it well at this meal tonight.

They hadn't discovered that the shipyard's food was so good.

Maybe it was because it was night and there was no official business, so white liquor appeared on the table.

Li Xuewu tentatively invited Andrew, and this "old guy" actually liked white liquor quite a bit.

Seeing him willing to drink, the atmosphere at the table became heated; waiters began to pour wine, everyone's faces became flushed, and they began to speak more freely.

At the table, Andrew took the initiative to share the drinking culture he encountered in Hong Kong, saying that people there were more particular and had begun to study the characteristics of Chinese and Western combined drinking tables.

Just as everyone at this table was listening with amusement, several accompanying secretaries suddenly walked in, causing the joyful atmosphere to pause.

Peng Xiaoli, like the secretaries of the others, walked behind Li Xuewu and whispered in his ear: "Leader, something happened in Modu..."

At the same time as Peng Xiaoli reported, Xu Si, Liu Zhaolun, Gao Yaqin, Zhou Gancheng, and others all raised their heads in unison, looking at Li Xuewu in a daze.

In the secretary's report, this disturbance involved more than 100,000 people; from the news just transmitted, this disturbance would absolutely not stop at Modu.

Previously, the university learning activities had appeared very gentle; even if they were somewhat intense, they were under control.

But now it was suddenly developing in an intense and uncertain direction; the future was uncertain.

The three sitting opposite, Liu Zhaolun and the others, were numb; they didn't know how such a big thing happened.

Looking at Li Xuewu, it was because they were all suspecting whether there was such a thing as "prophetic insight" in this world, or if it was premeditated. ===== CHAPTER 976 =====