Chapter 986: Cornered Dog Leaps the Wall

"Being a leader really is different~"

He Yu Shui walked into Li Xuewu's office, looking around, curious about everything she saw.

Li Xuewu didn't need Peng Xiaoli's help; the Security Building had a habit of taking a lunch break at noon, and it was currently rest time.

He brewed a cup of tea for Yushui at the tea cabinet and placed it on the coffee table.

"Sit wherever you like, have some tea."

"I've heard that leaders all have good tea leaves."

He Yu Shui walked back to the sofa, looked at Li Xuewu, and asked, "Is that really true?"

"Not entirely, at least not here with me."

Li Xuewu understood the implication in He Yu Shui's words; leaders don't need to buy tea leaves themselves, right~

However, he truly had never accepted tea leaves from any subordinates, nor had he gifted them to others; on the contrary, it was usually the leaders who had to be "skinned" by him.

While answering Yushui's question, he put away his own lunch box.

"You're a leader now too, does anyone send you tea leaves?"

"What kind of leader am I~"

He Yu Shui curled her lips and said, "I do plenty of work, take plenty of flak, and my salary hasn't increased much."

She scanned the surroundings and added, "Nowhere near as comfortable as you."

"Are you here to complain to me?"

Li Xuewu looked at her with amusement, picked up his teacup, and sat down on the single sofa.

He Yu Shui didn't dare meet his gaze, pretending to look at the room's decor casually, but stubbornly said, "No~ just saying it off the cuff."

"The position of workshop director is very important."

Li Xuewu spread his right hand and said, "I'm not lecturing you; it really is important."

"I know~"

He Yu Shui replied in a somewhat dejected voice, then, fearing Li Xuewu might misunderstand, explained, "I'm not complaining~"

"I understand, it's work, it's all like that."

Li Xuewu pointed to the high stack of documents on his desk and said, "Sometimes I get annoyed when I see these too."

He Yu Shui turned her head to look over there, pouted, and said, "It's no use complaining to me~"

"Hehe~"

Li Xuewu chuckled. He could tell she was feeling a bit emotional. After taking a sip of tea, he asked, "Is it work that's not going smoothly, or life?"

"Neither~"

Yushui looked up at him and said, "It's just that I've been here for a while and haven't come to see you."

"And you came empty-handed~"

Li Xuewu teased her, then nodded slowly and said, "If you have any difficulties, you can come find me, anytime."

"Of course~"

Seeing Yushui was somewhat silent, he smiled and emphasized, "Work procedures cannot be broken; reporting over your superiors is not allowed."

"Pfft~"

Yushui curled her lips, knowing Li Xuewu was teasing her, and said, "What difficulties could I have~"

After finishing, she sized Li Xuewu up and added, "I heard you've had quite a few difficulties lately."

"I always have plenty of difficulties."

Li Xuewu waved his hand casually and said, "Don't listen to their idle chatter. Officialdom is just like that; you understand."

"I suppose so~"

Yushui smiled, pursing her lips, and said, "Hearing them talk so mysteriously, I really thought you had encountered some massive problem."

"Thanks for your concern, there's nothing wrong~"

Li Xuewu put down the teacup in his hand, looked at her, and asked, "What about you? Is there really nothing?"

"Nothing~"

Yushui pursed her lips and hesitated for a moment before asking, "It's just... I'm a bit lost~"

"Isn't that normal~"

Li Xuewu looked at her with amusement and said, "Which young person isn't lost? If they aren't lost, can they even be called young people?!"

"What about you?!"

He Yu Shui looked at him, speechless, and asked, "You're a young person too, even younger than me. Are you lost?"

"Lost! I'm incredibly lost! Really!"

Li Xuewu gestured around his head with his finger and said, "I'm so lost that sometimes I'm muddled and dizzy."

"Pfft~"

He Yu Shui didn't believe his nonsense at all. She curled her lips and said, "That's because you have too many schemes and your brain turns too fast, making you dizzy~"

"Sigh~"

Li Xuewu sighed and said helplessly, "You all treat me as a life mentor, and when you're lost, you come to talk to me. But when I'm lost, who can I talk to~"

"Eww~~~~"

He Yu Shui looked at him with disdain, grinned, and said, "Look at your shameless attitude, acting like a life mentor~"

"Otherwise what?"

Li Xuewu looked at her and said, "I said young people are all lost, you don't believe me!"

"I said I'm lost too, and you still don't believe me."

"Doesn't that mean I'm young and wise? If I'm not your life mentor, what am I?"

He smiled and waved his hand, interrupting what He Yu Shui was about to say, and said, "Seriously, it's normal for young people to encounter things they can't figure out."

"You don't need to overcomplicate things. Who is born with knowledge, right?"

Li Xuewu gestured to Yushui and said, "I said I've been lost before, you didn't believe me. Not only did you not believe me, it seems no one believes me."

"Just before lunch, right here,"

Li Xuewu pointed toward the desk and said, "The comrades from the factory newspaper and the broadcasting station wanted to do an exclusive interview with me, asking me to talk about how young people should work and live."

"And then?"

He Yu Shui looked at Li Xuewu curiously and asked, "Did you agree?"

"I refused~"

Li Xuewu said earnestly, "I'm still a young person myself; I don't even know how I should work or live, so what am I supposed to talk about?"

"I'm just an ordinary laborer, a plain and simple worker; I'm nothing else!"

"..."

He Yu Shui looked at Li Xuewu, speechless, not knowing what to say.

She now had trouble measuring the standard for the words "ordinary" and "plain and simple."

"Everyone just thinks I'm lucky and capable, that every step I take is smooth sailing, my life is easy, and my career is rising step by step. Is that possible?"

He picked up his teacup, took a sip of hot tea, lifted his head, and said to Yushui, "Of course it's impossible!"

"You see me reach this position today, seemingly infinitely glorious and unparalleled, but in fact, you haven't seen the hard work behind it."

The... hard work behind it?

He Yu Shui sized Li Xuewu up. It was truly rare to hear such words from his mouth!

The bitterness behind it... why not bring it out to the front to see, instead of hiding it behind your back!

"So, whose youth isn't lost~"

Li Xuewu spread his hands and said, "The path is one I walked myself, the bitterness is one I ate myself. Walking this path, it all relied on my own efforts."

After saying this, seeing He Yu Shui feeling a bit nauseated by his "chicken soup," he added some coarse grains: "And a little bit of strategic planning~"

"Strategic planning?"

He Yu Shui looked at Li Xuewu with amusement, her eyes hanging, and then said, "This choice of words... no wonder they all say you have brilliant literary talent and are the best at writing!"

"Is this a compliment or an insult?"

Li Xuewu smiled and teased, picked up his teacup to drink, and signaled for her not to be a guest.

Yushui picked up her teacup, pursed her lips, and teased, "They all say you're calculating, have too many schemes, see ten steps ahead for every one you take, and seize every advantage."

"That wouldn't be something your brother said, would it?"

Li Xuewu curled his lips, shook his head slightly, put down the teacup, and said sincerely, "Maybe. I'm a relatively cautious person, and I'm afraid of causing trouble for others."

"I'd actually quite like to hear you talk about this part~"

After taking a sip of tea, He Yu Shui looked at Li Xuewu and said, "I can't do these things. I always walk for a long time before looking back and realizing where I went wrong~"

"Talk about what? Calculating?"

Li Xuewu asked with a smile. Seeing Yushui nod earnestly, he thought for a moment and said, "Calculating is just calculating. It's easy to say, but in reality, it's not difficult at all..."

"..."

Yushui felt that there wasn't a single honest word in this person's mouth. She shifted her body, leaned in, and asked, "Do you even guard against your own people?"

"Hehe~ who are 'my own people'?"

Li Xuewu looked at her with amusement and teased, "You?"

"Fine!"

Yushui put down her teacup, looked at him angrily, nodded, stood up, and was about to leave.

Li Xuewu pressed down on her shoulder, forcing her to sit back on the sofa.

"Just teasing you, why are you getting so worked up~"

"Then are you going to say it or not?!"

Yushui glared at Li Xuewu and said, "Can you say one serious thing? Is teasing me fun?"

"Say! Say! Say what?"

Li Xuewu looked at her and said very seriously, "Let me tell you, I have never calculated against anyone. I am a very simple person. Do you believe me?"

"You don't believe me, right!"

He pointed at Yushui and then said earnestly, "But I really have never calculated against anyone. My principle is 'just do it,' how could I think too much?"

He Yu Shui stared into Li Xuewu's eyes. She felt Li Xuewu was fooling her again, but she couldn't find any evidence.

"Regarding being lost, there is one explanation."

Li Xuewu brought another bowl of "chicken soup" and said, "That is thinking too much and doing too little."

"Are you saying I'm indecisive and lack my own opinions?"

Yushui looked at Li Xuewu in surprise, not expecting him to actually say something profound.

Li Xuewu shrugged his shoulders and said, "That depends on the specific environment, for example, your work."

"So?"

Yushui raised her eyebrows and asked, "What about work?"

"I just emphasized to you that the position of workshop director is very important."

Li Xuewu said earnestly, "In the Rolling Mill, including your Textile Factory No. 3, or other factories, the factory leadership team must have people who worked their way up from this position."

Yushui nodded. She was very clear about this point; technical vice directors, executive vice directors, business vice directors, etc., all need a solid management foundation.

"With the existence of such a person, middle management and grassroots management will not lack channels for advancement."

Li Xuewu said sincerely, "Especially in technical and production management, you don't need to calculate, and you don't need to fight. Just do your own job well in your position."

"Of course, you can also say this isn't absolute, and I admit that, but after being tempered in the workshop director position, it will definitely give you the ability to handle these relationships well."

Yushui nodded slowly and said thoughtfully, "Actually, I am willing to be on the front line; it's more fulfilling."

"That has to do with your personality."

Li Xuewu agreed and said, "I can't say whether working in an office or a workshop is better, but what suits you is the best."

"Hmm, that makes sense~"

Yushui nodded again, thought for a moment, and asked, "How should a workshop director convey pressure? I mean..."

"I understand."

Li Xuewu interrupted Yushui's question, nodded understandingly, and said, "Connecting the top and the bottom, acting as a linkage bearing, right~"

After finishing, he smiled and asked her, "Are you troubled by this kind of problem, lost to the point of doubting your original choice?"

"Are you going to say it or not!"

Yushui had her thoughts exposed by him and scolded him embarrassedly.

Then, covering her face in embarrassment, she whispered, "You're not unaware, two mothers-in-law to serve, plus the workers in the workshop, there are things everywhere~"

"It is indeed quite annoying."

Li Xuewu nodded understandingly and said, "Too many masters; the Rolling Mill is a master, and the Textile Factory is also a master, and the source of the workers is relatively complex. This matter is my fault."

Under Yushui's surprised gaze, he nodded slightly and explained, "The project to unite the three industries was my doing, and the plans and systems were all my ideas."

"..."

Yushui finally found the culprit today. It turned out the system that made her exhausted was created by the bad guy in front of her.

"Why?"

She asked somewhat puzzled, "Why couldn't it be..."

"Be what?"

Li Xuewu looked at her and said, "You know there are two masters; interests and contradictions are irreconcilable."

"And!"

He thought for a moment and explained, "At that time, the working environment at the Rolling Mill wasn't very good, and I wasn't sure how long the united three industries situation could last."

"And you say you're not calculating!"

Yushui said unconvinced, "So you were deliberately mixing in sand, and even digging holes and muddying the waters!"

After finishing, she slapped the sofa armrest and said angrily, "You, you, you pitted me, do you know that!"

"Hahaha~"

Li Xuewu didn't care about Yushui's accusations, but instead smiled and said, "At the time, it wasn't aimed at making things difficult for you. At the very least, I wouldn't go that far for a workshop director... right?"

"Fine! So it was just me being sentimental!"

Yushui said speechlessly, "A small workshop director isn't even in your calculations, or should I say, your planning!"

"In other words, I'm not even qualified to be calculated by you, right!"

"Hahaha~"

Li Xuewu just chuckled, neither confirming nor denying. He just spread his hands and said, "As long as the Three Industries Management Office takes charge, these problems you mentioned won't exist."

Hearing his explanation, Yushui instantly understood something, narrowed her eyes, nodded, and said, "So you left the opening in the Management Office!"

She really understood. Just as Li Xuewu said, once the Management Office takes charge, the pressure will be collected in the Management Office.

The Management Office will directly coordinate and reconcile the contradictions and interest issues between the united enterprises, rather than them being embodied in the workshop director.

Li Xuewu also mentioned that the working environment at the Rolling Mill was bad at the time; he might have buried a hole here, just waiting for someone to jump into it.

As long as he controls the position of the Management Office director, he can tighten it when he wants to tighten it, and loosen it when he wants to loosen it.

If it's tight, the work below is easy to do, and problems and contradictions won't be prominent; if it's loose, the opposite will inevitably lead to big problems, and the three industries won't be able to be done.

Too insidious!

Yushui thought for a moment, who was the previous director of the Three Industries Management Office?

Oh! Right!

It was Yu Decai, the current deputy leader of the Security Group, who had previously served as the director of the General Office of the Security Department and deputy director of the Service Department.

No wonder! The calculations he mentioned weren't aimed at the workshop director level; it really was like that!

"But!"

Yushui glared at Li Xuewu and asked, "What's going on with the Management Office now? It's a mess. Is your factory's working environment bad again?"

The situation was exactly as He Yu Shui said; the current persons in charge of the United Three Industries Management Office were Lv Peizhong and Jin Yaohui.

One was Jing Yunong's person, and the other was Li Huai De's person; their original working environments and backgrounds were different.

The leaders above got along relatively harmoniously, but when the people below were gathered into one department, could you say that Lv Peizhong, who came from a production business background, and Jin Yaohui, who came from a secretarial background and returned after causing a mess at the frontier office, could pee into the same pot?

Lv Peizhong wanted to achieve results in the United Three Industries position; he wanted to use this place as a springboard, at least to resolve the deputy department level, and then return to the production department to be a leader.

And Jin Yaohui? He had suffered a crushing defeat at the frontier office and had lost all his fighting spirit.

The romance of the frontier had long since worn away his already meager ambition.

Ambition, the ambition was gone, now all that was left was fighting.

Lv Peizhong said one, he said one was bad, let's make it two, two is good.

Why is it good?

He couldn't say. If you asked him hard, he would say Director Li said two is good.

Doesn't that make you angry? How can this work be done? Who the hell can go to Director Li to verify if two is really good!

Jin Yaohui used to be Director Li's secretary, pulling the leader's tiger skin as a banner; who dared to take him seriously?

Although that was the fact, how could Li Xuewu explain it? He couldn't wash his dirty linen in public.

He Yu Shui naturally believed it, but after getting used to saying this, outsiders would feel he had opinions about Lv Peizhong and Jin Yaohui.

Having opinions about them didn't matter, but Li Xuewu's current position was extremely special; he was valued by Li Huai De and trusted by other factory leaders.

Seemingly glorious, but actually walking on thin ice, he couldn't make a single mistake and couldn't easily express his stance.

Saying this might affect the judgment of the leaders above, making them feel Li Xuewu had opinions about them.

Seeing him not explain, just chuckling dryly, Yushui felt her understanding was a bit over the top.

"Are you planning to pit someone again?"

"No!"

Li Xuewu looked at her speechlessly and said, "They are all good colleagues, who would I pit!"

"I don't believe it!"

Yushui thought for a moment, her previously narrowed eyes suddenly opened, and she said, "Someone previously said there were two director positions in the Management Office, and you were one of them. Now... right?"

"Hehe, right what? Isn't this just nonsense~"

Li Xuewu took a sip of tea and said, "All positions belong to the organization, to the public. Where is there one with my name written on it? Don't believe it."

"So you did it on purpose, right?"

Yushui was smart this time, with an expression of having solved the case, and said, "Since you can't win the fight, you might as well throw them out and let them fight like dogs, and then you still have to handle it, right?"

"..."

Li Xuewu's mouth twitched, and he looked at Yushui and asked, "Is this the image of a villain I have in your heart?"

Yushui curled her lips and didn't answer this question, but instead asked the question Li Xuewu hadn't given an answer to earlier.

"You still haven't said what I should do."

"Very simple, like a bearing, the important thing is to be smooth. I'm talking about work!"

Li Xuewu feared she would misunderstand again and emphasized, "In the eyes of those above, the workshop director is a production position, and below, it's a management position, so you have to be flexible and smooth."

"Then how to be flexible and smooth?"

Yushui frowned slightly and said, "You said it's work, not teaching me how to be a person, right?"

"Right, it's just work!"

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "To summarize: you are you, and you are also not you."

Under Yushui's confused gaze, he explained, "Whether in the workshop or facing superiors, you are a part of the factory, belonging to the factory, so you are not you."

Yushui glared and asked, "Then what am I?"

"You are a screw, a small part in a huge piece of mechanical equipment."

Li Xuewu looked at her earnestly and said, "You must fulfill your work tasks in your position without compromise. Be round when you should be round, and square when you should be square; you must have principles."

"Then what is 'I am me'?"

Yushui understood the first sentence; it was telling her that to forge iron, one must be strong oneself, and the essential work must be excellent. She firmly believed she could do this well.

"You are you; you are a person, an active individual. It's impossible to complete all tasks accurately and without error like a mechanical part."

Li Xuewu pointed at her and said, "As a person, you will make mistakes, you will have a personality, and you will have a temper. Do you have a temper?"

As he spoke, he tilted his head slightly and teased her, "Show me a fierce look."

"Go to hell~"

Yushui pouted and scolded him unhappily.

Li Xuewu shook his head quite earnestly and said, "If you are too subtle like this, it won't work. People above will think you are easy to talk to, and people below will think you are easy to bully."

"Personality, temper, you must be able to bravely express your opinions and attitudes."

Trying to explain to Yushui, he pointed at himself and asked, "Have you seen anyone say my temper is bad, but has anyone said my character is bad or my work is bad?"

"... Oh~"

Yushui suddenly understood something, opened her mouth slightly, as if she had had an epiphany.

"So these things you show in the factory..."

She waved her palm, paused, and still asked, "Are they all on purpose?"

"Natural, just do it."

Li Xuewu smiled, took a sip of tea, and said, "Understand my words now?"

"Understood."

Yushui nodded slowly, pursed her lips, looked at him earnestly, and said, "You're truly terrifying~"

"Hahaha~"

Li Xuewu laughed out loud, put down the teacup in his hand, and deliberately scared her, saying, "That's why your brother told you to stay away from me, so you wouldn't learn bad habits."

"No, no, you're not bad~"

Yushui shook her head slightly. Under Li Xuewu's probing expression, she confirmed, "You are ruthless, treacherous, and cunning!"

"That's not as good as saying I'm bad!"

Li Xuewu waved his hand unhappily and said, "If you always talk like this, you won't have any friends."

"I didn't have many friends to begin with~"

Yushui glanced at him, curled her lips, and said, "Originally Yu Haitang counted as one, but because of you, she doesn't even dare to go to the courtyard anymore."

"What does that have to do with me!"

Li Xuewu said aggrievedly, "From beginning to end, I have been pure, upright, and innocent."

"Hmph~"

Yushui had an expression of "stop pretending, I've seen through you," pursed her lips, and said, "But talking to you is really quite useful; it helped me figure out a lot of things."

"So I said I'm your life mentor!"

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Now you know where my office is. If you're not afraid of learning bad habits, you can come often."

"Just like I said just now,"

He spread his hands and said, "If you have difficulties, you can talk to me."

"Hmm, thank you~"

Yushui scolded him unhappily, then couldn't help but laugh.

Li Xuewu's openness and confidence could really infect a person's heart. She couldn't help but be captivated by his charm, and following his guidance, she really gained something.

"Actually, I used to care most about what others thought and said about me, you know."

She pursed her lips, lowered her head, and said, "I lost my mom when I was little, my dad left, and my brother is still muddled. I'm a bit insecure."

Li Xuewu nodded understandingly and said, "I can tell. You live stubbornly and strongly, afraid of getting hurt, afraid of offending people."

"Hmm."

Yushui lowered her head and replied, not speaking for a long while.

Li Xuewu sat with her silently, waiting for her to calm her emotions.

"Thank you, heh~"

Yushui raised her head, smiled, and thanked him, as if she had untied a knot in her heart that had been there for a long time; her smile was even a bit brighter.

"You're welcome~"

Li Xuewu also laughed and teased her, "We're our own people~"

Yushui pursed her lips and glared at him, then her smile became even more sunny and bright, like the scorching sun melting ice and snow.

"Also want to thank you for the tea."

She stood up, said to Li Xuewu, "I won't disturb your work. Hearing your words is better than reading books for ten years. I've gained a lot today and benefited infinitely."

"That's also because you are naturally intelligent; I didn't help you with anything."

Li Xuewu stood up without the intention of seeing her off. Although he teased her about not being "our own people," he didn't treat her as an outsider in his actions.

"I have to learn the art of speaking from you more."

Yushui smiled and waved her hand. As she walked toward the door, she nodded to Peng Xiaoli who was entering, and said, "You speak quite nicely."

Peng Xiaoli looked at He Yu Shui with a confused face; he had never seen anyone dare to speak to the leader like that.

Li Xuewu, however, smiled indifferently and went to his desk; he really had a lot of work to do.

But before he could sit down, Yushui, who had already left, somehow stood at the door again. Regardless of Peng Xiaoli being in the room, she smiled at him and said, "I've figured it out!"

Li Xuewu was almost startled and asked helplessly, "What have you figured out?"

Yushui looked at him and smiled broadly, saying earnestly, "Actually, I quite like you."

"..."

Peng Xiaoli looked around blankly: Is this something I should be hearing!

Does the leader hate me?

Or perhaps they are testing me?

Will the leadership find some random excuse to exile me to the frontier in a little while, or perhaps silence me permanently?

Which foot did I just use to step into the room?

Li Xuewu didn't pay attention to his reaction; he pointed at the doorway with annoyance and said loudly, "Spare me, please!"

Why haven't they come out yet?

What on earth did they go do?

How long have they been inside?

He Yuzhu had already been pacing in the lobby of the main office building for over half an hour, his gaze fixed firmly on the direction of the Security Building opposite.

He muttered to himself, ignoring everyone else, his entire demeanor erratic and nervous.

The security guards on duty in the main office building couldn't help but grimace as they watched him.

A visitor had just entered the building, and Deputy Director Ao from the Committee Office had come out to welcome them; the visitor had been stunned by He Yuzhu's state.

If it weren't for Deputy Director Ao's explanation, they would have truly thought the steel mill had become a mental hospital.

Of course, the security guards knew who he was and knew he wouldn't do anything to the leadership upstairs, but watching Chef He from the cafeteria just felt a bit abnormal.

It wasn't as if no one had said Chef He was mentally unwell a few days ago, but everyone felt it was just someone maliciously retaliating and slandering him.

Chef He was a straightforward person who didn't mince words, so he had offended plenty of people.

In this day and age, mental or neurological illnesses were considered stubborn, incurable ailments, so slandering someone naturally involved using this kind of rhetoric.

But you look at Chef He shouting while cooking—which part of that was a sign of mental illness? Everyone just took it as a joke.

But today was not normal; Chef He's behavior was too much like that of a mentally ill person.

He Yuzhu, however, didn't notice the vigilant gazes of the security guards in the lobby; his eyes remained fixed on the Security Building.

He had seen with his own eyes Yushui follow Li Xuewu into the office building, the two of them chatting and laughing.

Back in the cafeteria, don't look at how He Yuzhu trusted Li Xuewu and his own sister, but now that the two of them had disappeared together for half an hour, he couldn't bring himself to trust it.

It wasn't anything else; he had been to Li Xuewu's office and knew there was a lounge inside.

Once he thought of Li Xuewu's lounge, he couldn't stand still, feeling like an ant on a hot pan.

Just as the security guard was about to approach him to probe, and just as he couldn't help but want to go to Li Xuewu's office to find Yushui.

At the entrance of the Security Building, Yushui's figure appeared, her complexion rosy, her spirit refreshed, her expression radiant, and a satisfied smile on her lips.

It's over! It's... all over!

Cold sweat poured down He Yuzhu's forehead, and he was completely stunned.

Just as the security guard placed a hand on his arm, he suddenly snapped out of it.

Ignoring the guard's questioning, he shook off the man's hand and bolted forward.

The security guard was startled by him; seeing him run, the guard followed.

But after running two steps, he stopped chasing, because the guard saw who Chef He was chasing—it was Chef He's sister.

"These two siblings... are they playing hide-and-seek or what?"

The security guard complained speechlessly, then shook his head with amusement and returned to his post.

He Yuzhu didn't notice the situation behind him; he caught up to Yushui from behind, grabbed her arm, and asked, "What did you go do?"

Yushui was startled and was about to shout, but seeing it was her brother, she frowned and replied, "What's wrong with you? You scared me!"

"You scared me!"

He Yuzhu glared, then gestured toward the building upstairs and asked, "What did you just go do?"

"You saw it, didn't you~"

Yushui walked forward with her hands in her pockets, asking, "Are you spying on me?"

"Don't be ungrateful~"

He Yuzhu looked back at the Security Building, chased after his sister, and asked again, "What did you just go do?"

Yushui looked up at her older brother, and seeing his tense posture of getting to the bottom of things, she laughed, "Went to his office to sit for a bit, so what?"

"Nothing much."

He Yuzhu curled his lip and continued to ask, "What did you do in the office?"

"!"

Yushui glared, looking at her brother with some impatience, her attitude cooling down, but she said, "Chatting."

"Chatting?"

He Yuzhu hadn't noticed the change in his sister's attitude and continued to press, "Chatting about what?"

"......"

Yushui walked two steps and was just about to get angry when she noticed her brother's mental state wasn't right, so she stopped and looked him over.

"What are you looking at me for!"

Seeing Yushui stop and look at him with the eyes of someone concerned for a patient, He Yuzhu's mouth twitched, and he continued to ask, "You still haven't said what you chatted about."

"Just chatting about random things~"

Yushui knew what was up with her brother and said helplessly, "Chatting about work, chatting about life, chatting about the future."

"......"

Now it was He Yuzhu's turn to be speechless; his eyes were filled with "I don't believe you!"

This is damn impossible to believe!

A man and a woman alone in a room, especially since he knew his own sister liked Li Xuewu.

She says they chatted about work, life, and the future—what do you think they did!

He Yuzhu just thought, anyone using normal human logic to think and understand would feel this is a lie!

What left him even more speechless was his sister's attitude; if you want to lie to me, can't you put in some effort and find a suitable excuse?

Yushui looked at her brother's expression of distrust and felt quite helpless.

She had drunk so much chicken soup upstairs; she really, truly had chatted with Li Xuewu about work, about attitudes toward life, and about the future.

But if her brother didn't believe her, what could she do? Who told her brother to be so prejudiced, assuming she must be acting inappropriately toward Li Xuewu!

Thinking about it, she felt exhausted herself; just because of her own emotional issues, her brother was almost becoming obsessed.

"Forget it, whatever you think it is, it is~"

"I just knew something was wrong!"

Seeing his sister turn and walk away "guiltily," He Yuzhu became even more convinced that his sister had acted inappropriately.

He muttered as he chased after her, wanting to persuade his sister to pull back from the brink and turn over a new leaf.

Li Xuewu stood upstairs watching this pair of siblings and also found it amusing; he couldn't hide the smile on his lips.

Peng Xiaoli didn't dare look downstairs; it wasn't that he didn't like excitement, but he was afraid of being exiled to the frontier or silenced permanently.

"Leader, someone from the Confidentiality Department is here."

"Hmm?"

The expression on Li Xuewu's face suddenly turned cold, and then he narrowed his eyes and looked toward the main office building.

There was indeed a Shanghai-brand sedan parked at the building entrance, not a brand from the factory.

Peng Xiaoli stood beside Li Xuewu and reported in a low voice, "I saw Deputy Director Ao go downstairs to pick them up; they should have gone to see Director Li."

"Hmm."

Li Xuewu responded softly, raised an eyebrow, turned back, walked to his desk, and asked for the Discipline Inspection phone line.

When the call was transferred to Xiang Yunnian, he then spoke: "Section Chief Xiang, it seems there's a bit of trouble."

Xiang Yunnian was startled by Li Xuewu's words; he had just picked up the phone and hadn't even spoken yet when he was hit with that sentence.

After hearing the other party describe the recent actions of the Confidentiality Department, especially the matter in Yingcheng, he also furrowed his brows.

"The case is already being handled on a fast track."

He hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Do you have any concerns or requests? You can tell me."

"What concerns could I have?"

Li Xuewu stood by his desk, narrowing his eyes as he looked toward the main office building, and said, "Even less of any requests. I just want to know when this case will be concluded. I'm about to be annoyed to death."

"Soon."

Xiang Yunnian paused before saying, "It must be concluded before the new year. The pressure from above is immense, and many leaders have issued directives."

"I understand."

That was exactly what Li Xuewu wanted to hear, and Xiang Yunnian knew what he wanted to hear.

The two hung up the phone just like that, as if nothing had really happened, yet it was as if everything had been said.

Peng Xiaoli quietly tidied up the documents on the desk and headed out the door.

He had to go back to his office and give Gu Cheng a call; there was quite a bit of movement on the other side, and given his status, it wasn't appropriate for him to go over. It would be more suitable for Gu Cheng to go.

Li Xuewu only stood by the window for a few minutes before returning to his desk to continue processing his work.

I am who I am, and I am also not who I am.

He hadn't been fooling He Yu Shui with this sentence; it was a small insight he had summarized from his work.

Yu Daru had come to invite him to dinner in the morning, intending to offer wine as an apology, but he didn't accept it, choosing to stand his ground firmly.

Why?

Because Li Xuewu knew this matter wasn't that simple; it couldn't be resolved with a meal or a drink.

The person he wanted to see wasn't the one behind Yu Daru, but the one who had laid out the plan.

If it were just Yu Daru's leader, this matter would be easy to handle; there would be no need for the other party to host a dinner, and it could be resolved in a few moves.

From the moment this case pointed to the branch bureau, that person had actually already mobilized Yu Daru and others to intervene actively, with the goal being the branch bureau.

But the ultimate goal wasn't the branch bureau either; starting from the branch bureau, it would inevitably fluctuate upward, thereby achieving their ulterior secret.

But even if the one who laid out the plan stood up to invite him to dinner, would he accept it?

Keep dreaming. If he truly knew who the planner was, he would definitely call his father-in-law, launch a sudden attack, and pull that person down.

When it comes to planning, he doesn't allow anyone more impressive than himself to exist!

This round isn't about fighting with force; it's about fighting with wits. In He Yu Shui's words, it's about playing mind games and calculating.

The other party truly wants to put him to death; just look at what they did in Yingcheng to know—destroying his foundation is no different from killing him.

Li Xuewu seems to be handling it cleverly, but he hasn't hurt the other party, nor has he been able to force them to show their face.

The strength of the two is vastly different; Li Xuewu is in the light, and the other party is in the dark. Every step is taken with heart-pounding fear, like dancing on the edge of a knife.

To this day, the reason he hasn't suffered a loss is simply due to a few factors: the case has already broken, it's growing larger, and the impact is severe.

His background is deep, and he has people looking out for him, so they don't dare move against him easily.

His work influence is great; he is a model worker at the steel mill, a backbone at the Third Guard Regiment, and a criminal investigation expert at the branch bureau.

Moving against him would only expose that person's identity; mutual destruction wouldn't even be possible.

The final point is that Li Xuewu's "divine calculations" were just too well-timed.

Xiang Yunnian revealed a piece of news to him: the leadership above has already issued directives that this case must be brought to light; no one can suppress it, and it must be investigated to the end.

Discipline Inspection is considering concluding the case before the end of the year, which means Li Xuewu only has a little over a month to plot. If he can dig that person out, the hidden danger will be resolved.

Conversely, after the new year, when the case is concluded, that person will also be off the hook, and there will be no reason to keep hounding Li Xuewu.

The grudge between the two has been formed. After this round of settlement, who knows when the next round will begin.

Li Xuewu isn't someone who holds a grudge overnight, and he certainly doesn't allow such an old guy to be aiming at him from behind; he is determined to dig up that person's ancestral grave and scatter their ashes.

You say he's anxious, but is the other party not anxious?

How could that be? Yu Daru returned in low spirits in the morning, and the one who wanted to host the dinner in the afternoon came to visit Li Huai De.

Looking at this, I'm afraid they're desperate!