Chapter 976: Take Down Huang Silang

On the evening of December 30, the carefully prepared banquet at the shipyard became somewhat anticlimactic due to the sudden news.

Perhaps because everyone had just drunk alcohol, even if their expressions changed, the redness from the liquor masked it somewhat.

Yet as the guest of honor, Andrew could still tell that after the secretaries left, everyone at the table grew distracted.

Only Li Xuewu, acting as host, continued to greet them warmly and raised his cup in toast.

The Chinese value perceptiveness, while Westerners understand restraint, so slowly, under Andrew’s initiative, the drinking began to wind down.

The goal was to let those sitting on pins and needles finish the banquet early and attend to their own matters.

As Andrew laid down his chopsticks, polite farewells echoed through the private room.

Liu Shaozong and the others stood, shook hands with Andrew, exchanged a few words, exchanged a glance with Li Xuewu, and then walked out together.

At the door, they split apart—Liu Shaozong and the others hurried off to make phone calls, while Li Xuewu accompanied Xu Siyear upstairs to see Andrew and the others off.

Clearly, the meeting scheduled for after dinner had to be postponed; Andrew, experienced as he was, asked no further questions.

When they came back downstairs, Xu Siyear pulled out a cigarette pack, offered one to Li Xuewu, and the two lit up beside the stairwell corner.

“Huh~”

At first neither spoke, but Xu Siyear couldn’t hold back—he exhaled a long puff of smoke, squinting slightly, and said: “What a turbulent season.”

“Mm.”

Li Xuewu lowered his head, exhaled smoke, paused, then said: “Winter is coming. We must prepare for it.”

“How?”

Xu Siyear said helplessly: “How long will this winter last? When will spring come?”

“Spring will come!”

Li Xuewu lifted his head, staring firmly at Xu Siyear: “No matter how long winter lasts, do what must be done!”

As he said this, he took another drag, squinting at Xu Siyear: “Do you still wait for the dragon’s cry before celebrating the New Year?”

“Sigh~”

Xu Siyear let out a long sigh: “I fear this New Year won’t be easy.”

“That depends on how you spend it!”

Li Xuewu lifted his gaze out the window—the machine shop was already brightly lit, operating day and night.

He stood on the upper floor, yet still felt as if he could hear the roar of machines and the fervor of the workers.

“You still insist on economic development, trade first, welfare first, right?”

Xu Siyear stood beside Li Xuewu at the window, gazing at the factory grounds: “You’re still so unconventional.”

“No, it’s not me who’s unconventional—it’s you who’s lost your way.”

Li Xuewu sucked hard on his cigarette, squinting: “Persisting in economic development, prioritizing trade and welfare isn’t the result—it’s the cause of enterprise growth.”

“You ask me, with winter approaching, what to do? I’ll tell you: band together for warmth; many hands make light work.”

“Band together…”

Xu Siyear smoked, gazing at the empty night sky, exhaling slowly.

He seemed to grasp Li Xuewu’s meaning: only by sustaining economic growth can valuable goods be created.

Only with economic value can you engage in trade proactively, seize market initiative, and claim the greatest benefits of preferential trade.

Only with efficient gains can you provide welfare benefits to unite all factory workers, thereby ensuring the structural integrity of the shipyard—and even the rolling mill.

With a complete structure and normalized management, the entire factory can continue developing its economy, forming a closed loop.

Interest and risk are a perfect couple—they never appear alone before you.

Choose to embrace interest, and you must face the challenge of risk.

This holds true for Xu Siyear, for the shipyard, for the rolling mill, and for everyone.

“If— I mean, if”

Xu Siyear looked at Li Xuewu: “If this storm hits the shipyard, how do we handle it?”

“How handle it?”

Li Xuewu glanced at him with narrowed eyes, his voice sharp: “What did I task you with forming the Youth Shock Team for? What was the point of creating the Propaganda Team?”

“...”

Sweat broke out on Xu Siyear’s forehead—Li Xuewu’s meaning was unmistakable.

It wasn’t enough for the Youth Shock Team to act ruthlessly—they needed welfare incentives to motivate them, and the Propaganda Team to legitimize and protect them.

This move was too ruthless—no wonder the rolling mill remained rock-solid despite the complex situation in the capital.

Li Xuewu tossed his cigarette butt to the ground and crushed it underfoot, sneering: “A bunch of kids—if they really took to the sky, what chaos would follow!”

He turned and walked down the corridor, leaving Xu Siyear standing there, staring blankly out the window, pondering his words.

“Leader.”

Peng Xiao stepped forward, greeting him, then gestured subtly toward the small reception room.

Li Xuewu lightly patted his arm: “Have Zhou Zhuang and the others returned?”

“Yes.”

Peng Xiao replied softly: “They went upstairs after dinner and said they’re waiting for you in Zhou Xiaobai’s room.”

“Understood.”

Li Xuewu nodded and walked toward the small reception room, adding: “Bring two cups of tea.”

“Deputy Director Li.”

Hearing footsteps in the corridor, the reception room door opened.

Yu Daru stood up from his chair, awkwardly offering a greeting.

Li Xuewu waved dismissively: “Sit. Did you eat dinner?”

He sat down, gesturing toward the door: “It’s still mealtime—if you haven’t eaten, don’t be polite.”

“No, thank you.”

Yu Daru sat beside Li Xuewu, but only half on the chair, leaning forward slightly, lacking confidence.

Li Xuewu leaned back casually, legs crossed, studying him.

Peng Xiao entered with two cups of tea, placing one before Yu Daru and one beside the leader.

Just before the leader went to see the foreign guest, Yu Daru had appeared.

The leader noticed his signal, merely turned his head slightly, and Peng Xiao brought him here to wait.

Because of the previous unpleasantness, the secretary had given him no warm reception—left him waiting, even without tea.

Now that Yu Daru had shown up, he naturally didn’t care about the secretary’s coldness.

He didn’t touch the hot tea before him, but spoke directly to Li Xuewu: “Deputy Director Li, I’ve come to apologize.”

“Oh?”

Li Xuewu waved his hand, signaling Peng Xiao to leave, then raised an eyebrow: “So you’re truly sincere?”

“That doesn’t sound right~”

He picked up the teacup, eyes lowered to the tea, saying: “You didn’t come to watch me fail, did you?”

“...How could I?”

Yu Daru forced a crooked smile, unable to muster one, hesitated, then said: “I’m sincere—I just fear you’ll misunderstand.”

“Mm. You won’t.”

Li Xuewu sipped his tea, glanced at Yu Daru: “I suspect you arrived in Yingcheng before me?”

“Why?”

He narrowed his eyes at Yu Daru: “Did you come alone? Didn’t bring anyone to arrest me?”

Yu Daru glanced at the door—he knew he’d walked into a dragon’s den, and it was his own doing.

“You’re joking. Even if you gave me a hundred courage, I’d never dare act recklessly before you.”

“Too polite. I should be the one fearing you, right?”

Li Xuewu set down his teacup, adjusted his shirt cuff, and said casually: “I should just give up resistance and surrender...”

“Deputy Director Li!”

Yu Daru interrupted softly, earnestly: “I truly want to apologize—not for this matter, but for betraying your trust.”

Li Xuewu nodded slightly, watching him silently, waiting for more.

“About the case, I can give you an explanation, a full account—if you need it.”

Yu Daru said seriously: “I’d rather speak openly with you—we have no blood feud, do we?”

“Oh, who are you asking about?”

Li Xuewu frowned, coldly staring: “Do you not know about the cold shot from the Foreign Affairs Force? Or am I wronging you?”

“Are you treating me like a child?”

“Please believe me!”

Yu Daru sat upright, telling Li Xuewu: “The Foreign Affairs Force’s actions have nothing to do with us—I swear it.”

“How do you swear it?”

Li Xuewu tilted his head, gesturing toward the door: “Shall I call Zhou Gan Cheng down to confront you? Or will you play Jianghu tricks and cut off a finger?”

Yu Daru was left speechless by Li Xuewu’s words—any further defense was useless.

Li Xuewu shifted his crossed legs, looking at Yu Daru: “If you want to stall, show some sincerity. Why send a little shrimp like you to block my gun?”

He glanced over Yu Daru with disdain: “I’m not looking down on you—you’re just too small to matter.”

He put his legs down, stood up, and said: “Remember what I told you—come at me straight. Don’t waste time with these tricks.”

“Deputy Li!”

Yu Daru rose and called out to Li Xuewu, who was about to leave, frowning slightly: “Whether you believe me or not, I truly came here with sincerity today.”

“Oh?”

Li Xuewu turned around, looked up at Yu Daru, and asked: “Where’s your sincerity?”

“I guarantee I won’t interfere in this case again, nor meddle in the branch’s arrangements.”

Yu Daru said earnestly: “We give up the trade train—consider it my apology for this reckless move. I’ll never bother you again.”

“Heh~”

Li Xuewu chuckled softly, studied him again, and narrowed his eyes: “Did your superiors tell you to say this?”

Seeing Yu Daru’s momentary shock, he shook his chin slightly and said coldly: “Don’t be childish. Don’t think I’m as naive as you—that’s an insult to my intelligence.”

“And!”

Li Xuewu turned sideways, pointed a finger at him, and said: “Tell your superiors: I took the cold shot from the Waishi Force, but this isn’t over. Let’s play this out slowly.”

Yu Daru watched Li Xuewu leave and hurried after him, calling out: “Deputy Li…”

“Show him out!”

Li Xuewu didn’t look back, stepping firmly up the stairs.

Yu Daru tried to follow, but Peng Xiao forced himself in front of him.

“Director Yu.”

Peng Xiao’s face was cold. He gestured toward the guesthouse entrance and said grimly: “Please leave.”

Yu Daru glanced at him, then toward the stairs, then reluctantly turned and walked out.

At the door, he turned to say one last thing to Peng Xiao—but as soon as he turned, Peng Xiao had already shut the door.

So, they really closed the door on him.

Looks like he’s truly offended him now—this is going to be a fight to the death.

Tiny snowflakes had begun falling from the sky, dusting the ground. Yu Daru walked to his car, glanced once more at the upper floor, sighed deeply, and stepped inside.

Upstairs in the guesthouse, in Zhou Xiaobai’s room, three girls were chattering away.

Li Xuewu knocked and entered, finding Zhou Xiaobai trying on a short leather jacket with a fur collar—adorably stylish.

“Big Brother Li!”

Seeing Li Xuewu, Zhou Xiaobai excitedly greeted him, spun around, and asked: “Do I look good?”

“Heh~”

Li Xuewu smiled, studied her carefully, then nodded: “Beautiful. You’ve got great taste in clothes.”

“Miaomiao helped me pick it!”

Zhou Xiaobai grinned, walked over, and casually linked arms with him, standing together before the room’s mirror.

The more they looked, the more perfect they seemed together—she grinned until her eyes crinkled.

Li Xuewu saw only a playful little girl beside him, utterly adorable.

“Show-off time can wait. This room’s sweltering—don’t you feel suffocated?”

“Hehe, new clothes always feel great no matter when you wear them.”

Zhou Xiaobai laughed, took off the jacket, unzipped it, revealing a white fitted sweater that hugged her youthful figure perfectly.

Li Xuewu had no interest in “little” girls—even if he did, he wouldn’t show it with Zhou Miaomiao and Luo Yun watching so intently.

Both girls, seeing his clear gaze, felt a teasing disappointment, yet awkwardly covered their mouths and giggled at his blank expression.

Zhou Xiaobai had already noticed their mischief, and, annoyed, pouted and slapped them.

Clearly, the afternoon outing had drawn the three closer.

No one knew how Zhou Miaomiao did it—but it wasn’t hard to guess.

Zhou Miaomiao was only eighteen or nineteen, just two or three years older than Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun—all girls, naturally they’d get along.

Especially with money and coupons to spare, shopping together became the perfect catalyst for bonding.

Several outfits lay on the bed—Zhou Xiaobai’s, Luo Yun’s, and of course, Zhou Miaomiao’s.

When Li Xuewu entered, the three were trying on their new purchases, showing off their day’s haul.

After the laughter, Zhou Miaomiao pulled out a large bag and smiled: “I bought you a toy, Big Brother Li.”

Li Xuewu took it, hefted it, raised an eyebrow, and chuckled: “Even if I weighed it by the jin, the money I gave you still wouldn’t cover this.”

“It’s for all three of us.”

Zhou Miaomiao glanced at Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun, smiling: “Honestly, I didn’t know what to buy—we picked it together.”

“I forgot to tell you.”

Li Xuewu smiled helplessly: “You can buy anything—just make sure it’s sturdy.”

He gestured to the bag, puckered his lips: “My daughter’s still too young, or I’d have gotten her a hand grenade.”

“Hahaha~”

All three had younger siblings—they understood exactly what he meant.

But they found it embarrassing to say such things aloud, scolding him for speaking so casually about his daughter in public.

“Alright! Got the gift!”

Li Xuewu smiled at the three: “You’ve been out all day—boating, shopping—get some rest.”

As he spoke, Zhou Xiaobai came over. He patted her head and warned: “We’ll set sail after lunch tomorrow. You can stroll the beach, but stay safe.”

“Deputy Li!”

As he turned to leave, Zhou Miaomiao hurried after him with another bag.

Li Xuewu paused, staring at the bag she offered: “What’s this?”

“It’s local specialty we bought while shopping.”

She smiled, pressed the bag into his hands, and added: “We knew you’d be busy, so we got you a special one.”

“Oh? Thanks!”

Li Xuewu accepted it with a smile, gesturing: “Since it’s your thoughtfulness, I’ll gladly take it.”

“Thank you, Deputy Li~”

Zhou Miaomiao and Zhou Xiaobai walked Li Xuewu to the door, where Zhou Miaomiao specifically thanked him again.

They’d been able to go shopping in town only because of Li Xuewu’s arrangements—including the money and coupons for clothes.

Xiao Liu, the driver for Director Xu of the shipyard, had accompanied them all day, taking them wherever they wanted, paying for everything they bought.

No need to ask—the local vouchers in the driver’s hand proved Peng Xiao’s words about “leadership arrangements” weren’t empty.

Zhou Miaomiao’s salary was decent, but not enough for such spending—she never bought things casually.

Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun were even worse off—relying only on pocket money from home, barely enough for daily needs, let alone shopping sprees.

All three were at that age when every girl wants to look dazzling.

If a man was willing to spend lavishly on her, buying only what she loved without counting the cost—who could resist such affection?

After seeing Li Xuewu off, Luo Yun gave Zhou Xiaobai a nudge from behind, gestured toward the hallway, and whispered: “Aren’t you going to chase after him?”

“What?”

Zhou Xiaobai blushed and tried to retreat inside, but Luo Yun and Zhou Miaomiao blocked the door.

Zhou Miaomiao grinned, urging: “We had so much fun today because of you!”

She glanced at Luo Yun, then added with perfect understanding: “I can’t repay this favor.”

“So~!”

Luo Yun chimed in with a laugh: “We’re giving you as payment!”

“Hahaha!”

Zhou Miaomiao and Luo Yun pushed Zhou Xiaobai—still only in her white sweater—out the door and slammed it shut.

Zhou Xiaobai’s face burned red. She pounded on the door, but inside, the two only laughed and urged her to hurry.

This was a guesthouse—people lived on both sides. She couldn’t shout loudly, only begged them to stop.

They were determined to help her all the way—no matter how much she pleaded, they refused to open the door.

Finally, Zhou Xiaobai had no choice. She couldn’t stand in the hallway forever—people were passing.

She muttered a curse at the girls inside, hesitated, then turned toward Li Xuewu’s room.

Li Xuewu had just finished tidying his room, was about to strip off his clothes for a bath, when he heard a knock.

He threw on a sweater and opened the door—there stood Zhou Xiaobai, standing there, delicate and shy.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing her pouting, little-wife expression, he chuckled: “Still have something?”

“They…”

Zhou Xiaobai pouted, head down, hands clenched, embarrassed: “They won’t let me back in…”

“Heh~”

Li Xuewu instantly understood. He stepped aside, gestured inside: “Come in, sit a bit. I’ll settle this for you.”

“Mm~”

Zhou Xiaobai stepped in hesitantly, saw the scattered clothes, noticed him bare-chested in just the sweater, and lowered her eyes.

“Find a place to sit. I’m going to bathe—the hot water’s ready.”

“Uh… okay.”

Zhou Xiaobai nodded hesitantly—then turned to see Li Xuewu pulling off his sweater, revealing his muscular chest, covered in scars.

She wanted to hide again, but found Li Xuewu had already turned and gone to the bathroom, paying no attention to her presence.

Looking at the clothes on the bed and listening to the sounds from the bathroom, Zhou Xiaobai’s blush spread all the way to her earlobes.

Though deeply shy, she felt a small joy at Li Xuewu’s casualness.

She bent her knees slightly, pinched Li Xuewu’s clothes with careful fingers, and cautiously glanced toward the bathroom.

Seeing no movement, she moved like a startled fawn.

First, she neatly folded the clothes she had worn that day, then placed Li Xuewu’s prepared outfit for tomorrow at the head of the bed.

When she had finished tidying, she hesitantly walked to the door, gathered her courage, and pushed open the bathroom door.

“I… I’ll wash your back~”

Breakfast was simple; no one ate together—whomever woke first ate first.

Li Xuewu came down with Zhou Xiaobai; everyone assumed they had met by chance, and no one paid attention.

Peng Xiao had already prepared breakfast and brought it over the moment they appeared.

Zhou Xiaobai was still unaccustomed to his service; though her home had attendants, none had ever prepared her breakfast or handed her chopsticks.

But seeing Li Xuewu absorbed in reviewing Peng Xiao’s materials, and Peng Xiao still giving his report, she softly thanked him.

“The focus of the negotiations remains on the project and equipment.”

Peng Xiao smiled in response, then continued softly introducing the shipyard’s proposal to Li Xuewu.

“Regarding equipment and manpower investment, Jili Star also has requirements—they want to build a more complete manufacturing team.”

He sat beside Zhou Xiaobai and relayed the other side’s core demands to Li Xuewu, who sat across, eating while reviewing documents, then waited for Li Xuewu’s instructions.

“Not realistic, but worth considering.”

Li Xuewu took a sip of porridge, looked up at Peng Xiao, and said: “Coordinate with the shipyard and see how much material and manpower they can provide.”

“And!”

He tapped the documents beside him and warned: “Don’t just listen to what Jili Star says—have your own thinking. We’re building the ships, not them!”

“Understood.”

Peng Xiao took notes, gathered the documents across from him, then placed another file down: “The shipyard’s security department’s work report.”

Seeing Li Xuewu glance at it briefly, he reported softly: “Mainly concerning personnel and management systems.”

“What does Director Xu think?”

Li Xuewu looked at him while holding his porridge bowl and said: “If it’s a work report, follow procedure. If it’s a work plan, include it in next year’s plan.”

Setting down the bowl, he picked up his chopsticks and asked: “Why submit this now?”

“Director Xu suggests transferring a security officer from the rolling mill’s security office to oversee the overall setup.”

Peng Xiao cautiously studied Li Xuewu’s expression; seeing it turn serious, he said carefully: “Personnel is secondary—the main issue is the system.”

He knew how to grasp the core—he understood Li Xuewu’s concerns—so he made the office management system the focus of his report.

“Director Xu wishes to fully implement the rolling mill’s office management system at the shipyard, but current conditions are difficult—he needs the factory’s support.”

“The system issue can be resolved through the Commission’s office, right?”

Li Xuewu took the half-steamed bun Zhou Xiaobai handed him and accepted it without hesitation.

“Transferring security officers still carries drawbacks—it could create an impression of distrust within the leadership.”

Though he said this, he understood Xu Si’s difficulties here.

Compared to the complex situation at the steel plant, the shipyard’s situation was even more pronounced.

Xu Si wanted to strengthen his authority and needed to take full control of the security department.

Li Xuewu would certainly support his work, but distant help couldn’t solve immediate problems—the shipyard’s security department was deeply entangled with local interests and hard to manage.

If Xu Si became head of the security section, he could naturally devote energy to handling these people and matters.

But he had to oversee the entire operation and coordinate internally and externally—where would he find the time and energy to focus solely on one department?

So one must speak what needs to be said, understand what must be understood, and help when help is needed.

“Who does Director Xu want?”

Li Xuewu bit into the bun and picked up some pickled vegetables with his chopsticks.

Asked this question, Peng Xiao hesitated, then answered: “Director Xu said… Director Sha is fine.”

“…”

Li Xuewu’s chopsticks paused mid-pick. He looked at Peng Xiao, speechless: “Fine? Should we also bring over Deputy Group Leader Yu?”

Peng Xiao felt embarrassed too, but Director Xu had said exactly this to him—what could he do?

Leadership had plans for Director Sha—he was currently Deputy Director of the Security Group’s General Office, yet still held the additional post of Director of the Foreign Affairs Office.

Once foreign affairs concluded, or foreign trade stabilized, Director Sha might be reassigned to the Trade Office.

According to Peng Xiao’s knowledge, the Trade Office’s three directors were Zhuang Cangshu from Jinmen, Cen Fuyao from Gangcheng, and Lü Peizhong and Jin Yaohui from Jingcheng.

All of them held at least deputy division-level rank; Director Sha’s next posting should be to Jinmen or Gangcheng as a full-section deputy director.

The Trade Office is currently in a growth phase, a prime time to achieve results—if he seizes the opportunity, he could soar.

More importantly, after several years as deputy director, he could naturally resolve his deputy division-level status upon becoming chief director.

If he stayed in the Commission’s office, who knew how many years he’d have to wait?

“Set this aside for now. Let’s discuss it after we return—focus on the negotiations first.”

“Yes, Leader.”

Peng Xiao gathered the documents on the table, nodded, and went outside to find Xu Si.

Li Xuewu took a bite of the bun and noticed Zhou Xiaobai watching him; he smiled and asked: “What are you looking at?”

“Hehe~”

Zhou Xiaobai laughed and said: “You look so serious when you work—it’s very charming.”

“Is that so?”

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said to her: “Then I’ll have to work seriously from now on.”

“Mm!~”

Zhou Xiaobai nodded and said: “A man must have a career—it shows his true character.”

Li Xuewu smiled: “Since you say that, I’ll tell the factory cadres that men who work seriously are the most charming.”

“Oh no~ Don’t tease me~”

Zhou Xiaobai playfully slapped his handback, pouting: “I’m not your colleague—you can’t say that!”

“So it’s a lie then?”

Li Xuewu teased her: “Looks like you were just flattering me.”

“No way~”

Zhou Xiaobai looked shyly at Li Xuewu and said: “You really were charming just now—strong, decisive, full of authority.”

“Ah~”

Li Xuewu nodded, as if he understood, and looked at Zhou Xiaobai: “You like the dominant type—the strong type~”

“Not exactly~”

Zhou Xiaobai lowered her head, blushing, and whispered: “It’s just… you were perfect just now.”

“Hehehe~”

Li Xuewu finished breakfast, tapped the table in front of Zhou Xiaobai, and said: “I’m off to show off my charm—you’re free to do as you please. Remember to come back for lunch.”

“Okay~”

Zhou Xiaobai sprang up energetically, took the dishes from him, and urged him to get to work.

“You go ahead—I’ll clean up…”

“Oh? Who are you talking to?”

She hadn’t noticed—she thought Li Xuewu was still standing beside her—when Luo Yun’s voice came from behind.

Luo Yun grinned mischievously: “I just got here, and you’re telling me to go? What am I supposed to do?”

“Ah~”

Zhou Xiaobai blushed furiously and shoved her. “It’s all your fault!”

Luo Yun widened her eyes, feigning indignation: “So you’re going to throw me away after using me?”

“You wouldn’t cross the river and then break the bridge, would you?”

Liu Shaozong and two others blocked Li Xuewu in the corridor and pulled him into a small reception room.

Gao Yaqin stood at the door; all three looked exhausted—they clearly hadn’t slept well last night.

Zhou Gancheng’s eyes were bloodshot—he’d clearly stayed up all night, reeking of smoke like a smoked ham.

“Li Deputy Director, I’m serious!”

Seeing Li Xuewu didn’t answer, Liu Shaozong grew anxious, glaring: “We made the calls, we handled the matters—now that trouble’s come, you won’t…”

“Won’t what?”

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, glanced around the room, and asked the three: “When did I ever say I’d cross the river and break the bridge?”

“Then…”

Liu Shaozong frowned and asked Li Xuewu: “Is your plan still going ahead?”

“Of course!”

Li Xuewu turned to Gao Yaqin: “Director Gao, what do you think?”

“…”

Gao Yaqin stared at Li Xuewu, knowing this kid was up to his usual tricks again.

On the ship, he was always like this—skilled at sowing discord and breaking alliances.

The three of them were originally united, but after his constant scheming and manipulation, they ended up like this—how could they not understand his tactics?

But now that Li Xuewu had asked, she could only grit her teeth and firmly say: “If you keep your word, I won’t break mine.”

“Good!”

Li Xuewu called out loudly, “Good!” then turned to Zhou Gancheng and asked: “Director Zhou, did Master Yu come to see you last night? How did it go?”

Zhou Gancheng sat in his chair, unsure how to answer, only raising both hands to cover his face.

Perhaps he hadn’t treated it properly after returning, and with staying up late last night, the swelling on his forehead had grown larger.

“Go ask around on that one mu of land in Dongcheng—no one will deny I value integrity above all!”

Li Xuewu said solemnly: “Whoever works with me doesn’t fail to speak of benevolence and righteousness!”

“Do you believe him?”

“I don’t know.”

Zhou Gancheng lifted his head, looked at Li Xuewu, and sighed: “I don’t even know who to trust anymore.”

“I won’t force you—the path is yours to choose!”

Li Xuewu spread his hands and said: “Master Yu and the others betrayed me, yet still came to Yingcheng to wait for me—that proves they’ve run out of tricks.”

“How you choose doesn’t matter—I don’t trust him, and I won’t give him any damn opportunity.”

Saying this, Li Xuewu shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced at the other two: “If we’re playing, we play to the end—I won’t let go until a few are dead.”

“Deputy Director Li!”

Liu Shaozong stood up, stopping Li Xuewu: “We’ll cooperate however you need, but please finish the project negotiations and return to Jinmen as soon as possible!”

“Fine~”

Li Xuewu sized him up, then turned to Gao Yaqin and asked: “Director Gao, what’s your opinion?”

Gao Yaqin studied Li Xuewu; though giving up oversight of the project pained her, she had more urgent work ahead and nodded: “I agree.”

“Then I’ll coordinate matters here.”

Li Xuewu nodded and replied: “As soon as the project negotiations are complete, we’ll set sail back to Jinmen.”

As he stepped out the door, he reminded the silent Zhou Gancheng: “Once you’re at the table, you must accept that bets are final—or you’ll please no one.”

Saying that, he ignored the three of them and headed straight for the meeting hall.

Liu Shaozong’s brow was knotted; he glanced at Zhou Gancheng and asked suspiciously: “Old Zhou, you’re not going to pull the ladder out from under us now, are you?”

Gao Yaqin shot him a glance, her tone impatient: “Do you really think he’s that foolish?”

She turned aside, gesturing toward the door: “Get on with your work—you’re all men. Don’t tell me you’re more hesitant than I am.”

After the jab, she left too, as if too proud to associate with them.

Liu Shaozong ignored her, squeezed his eyes hard, then rubbed his face: “Come on, Old Zhou—they’ve already shouted ‘bets are final.’ If you hesitate any longer, you’ll lose every chip on the table.”

Zhou Gancheng waited until Liu Shaozong left, sat there thinking for five full minutes, then dragged his weary body out the door.

Following Li Xuewu’s plan, Gao Yaqin reported her assessment of the project to Jinmen’s foreign economic and trade team, and also submitted feedback to higher authorities.

Her opinion opposed the steel mill’s foreign business activities, citing reasons including but not limited to lack of economic trade reporting, foreign affairs risks, insufficient management capacity, and non-compliance with cooperation protocols.

Liu Shaozong directly called his superiors to relay his rebuttal and opposition to this opinion.

In his submission, he argued that the shipyard had the capability to complete shipbuilding infrastructure and even export foreign shipbuilding capacity.

He also refuted Gao Yaqin’s views, asserting that the shipyard’s management team was combat-ready, united, and hardworking.

Especially the leadership of the steel mill—they possessed foresight and long-term strategic thinking, worthy of affirmation and support.

After the two, Zhou Gancheng called to report the dispute between the foreign economic and trade and industrial departments, and offered his own opinion.

He recommended that higher-level forces intervene in resolving this matter and swiftly achieve a decisive resolution.

The three of them took turns making calls in the phone room, lying without blinking, each more professional than the last.

This plan was ruthless: three factions turning on each other, shifting blame, and armed with counterattack capability.

Now they waited for the anxious one to take the bait—whether Li Xuewu would crush him outright or toy with him like a cat with a mouse, they could no longer control.

They all knew cooperating with Li Xuewu was like bargaining with a tiger or dancing with wolves—but now they had no retreat, only one path forward to the end.

They were not just deceiving the person behind the scenes; to protect themselves, they’d even deceived their own Jinmen team and their superiors.

Deliberately creating conflict, deliberately shifting blame—with two ministries involved, the sword meant to strike Li Xuewu had become entangled, and someone had to untangle it.

At this point, Li Xuewu only needed to watch who stepped forward first—and eliminate them.

He didn’t care whether the one who stepped forward was truly the one behind the scenes; Huang Silang died never understanding how he’d been killed.

Li Xuewu didn’t need to find Huang Silang—he only needed to kill the one everyone believed to be Huang Silang.

As for the one behind the scenes…

That would naturally be the one most desperate, the one most eager to sweep away their own traces.

If someone is even willing to erase their own tail, what power do they have left to stand in this circle?

He won’t need Li Xuewu to act—someone else will use this wind to clean him up.

All that’s missing now is for Li Xuewu to light the first fire; he doesn’t need to decide who to burn—someone else will drag the one behind the scenes onto the pyre.

In the morning, the shipyard convened the remaining parties to continue last night’s meeting; at first, both sides still argued fiercely.

But the moment Li Xuewu spoke, everyone fell silent.

They knew who held the power to decide—their bickering was meaningless.

Li Xuewu first affirmed David’s design philosophy and contributions to development, then publicly praised the shipyard’s engineering team for their innovation and sense of responsibility.

Finally…