mchenry-crisis.org Chapter 1711 Beyond the Red Line
Chapter 1711 Beyond the Red Line
Chapter 1711 Beyond the Red Line
"Hi, Ms. Guan."
As soon as Li Xuewu entered the lobby of the laboratory building, he heard someone greeting him in English.
"Hello, Mr. Mason."
Shangguan Qi was answering the secretary-general's question when she smiled and gave a perfunctory reply.
But after taking only two steps, just as she was about to continue introducing the Academy of Sciences' project development, she suddenly realized something, raised her hand to greet the other person, and said, "This is our Secretary-General of the Group Board of Directors."
"Oh! Mudhoo—"
Li Xuewu certainly understands English, but he doesn't like this way of speaking that mixes Chinese and English.
In his later years, he came into contact with some companies in Shanghai. In his personal opinion, if you speak Chinese, speak Chinese; if you speak English, speak English. If you mix English into your Chinese, it just means you are not good at either language.
Chinese is the language in the world that most clearly describes the forms of matter; what is there that cannot be explained?
Of course, it was also quite funny that Mr. Mason greeted her in English while Shangguan Qi greeted her in Chinese.
Shangguan Qi's introduction was somewhat unusual. Although it was said that he was the Secretary-General of the Group Board of Directors, he was actually the Secretary-General of the Board of Directors, which was somewhat different from the Secretary-General of the Group Management Committee.
Compared to the management committee of Honggang Group, the board of directors of Western companies is somewhat lacking.
But it doesn't matter. It would be too much to ask Shangguan Qi to interpret a position in such a short time.
The most interesting thing was that this tall, burly, bearded man in a white coat, Mr. Mason, actually took the initiative to greet him in broken English.
Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, saying, "Hello."
Shangguan Qi stood to the side and introduced him to him in English: "Mr. Mason has just come to the mainland from East Germany to work. He is an expert in electronic technology introduced by Professor Wilhelm."
"Welcome to China, Mr. Mason." Li Xuewu wouldn't make things difficult for him at this moment, and said with a smile in English, "I hope the working atmosphere and environment here will make your work go smoothly."
"Thank you, I am very satisfied here."
When Mason saw him extend his hand, he took it, shook it, and said with admiration, "The people here are all very hardworking, which I admire."
"Thank you for your affirmation." Li Xuewu smiled and glanced at Shangguan Qi, then released her hand and said, "Director Shangguan will definitely like these words."
"Hahaha—" Although Mason was a foreigner, he was very good at social etiquette and laughed heartily at this moment.
Foreigners don't always have a serious and earnest demeanor at work; their abundant material life gives them choices in both work and life.
Just like Li Xuewu's work attitude, he keeps the two very separate. He would never sacrifice his life for work, nor would he lose his job for his life.
They chatted for a bit more about the academic environment before parting ways. It was clear that Mason really liked the place.
"In order to accommodate their living habits, the group's foreign affairs office purchased a batch of supplies from abroad specifically for them."
Shangguan Qi explained, "Even the toilets are specially imported, and the cafeteria has opened a Western food area, just in case they're not used to it."
"Well, if we're going to use them, we should respect them."
Li Xuewu nodded and said, "The group has always prioritized the development of science and technology, and its investment in this area has been very decisive."
As he went upstairs, he also looked around at the office environment on the floor and asked what he needed.
"Actually, the existing equipment and facilities are already sufficient to meet their daily office needs, so they don't really care about these things."
Shangguan Qi explained, "On the contrary, there are some requirements for the laboratory's equipment and facilities, and we are coordinating with the institute to actively resolve them."
“Yes, that’s normal.” Li Xuewu stepped upstairs and said, “If you want to do a good job, you must first have the right tools. Who wouldn’t want to use the right tools?”
"You don't need to worry about this."
He glanced back at Shangguan Qi and said, "If you're short on funds, just submit your application as usual, and I'll help you coordinate procurement channels."
"Thank you, sir. That's exactly what I was worried about."
Shangguan Qi said with a smile, "I troubled you when we purchased computers last time. Our dean said you are very capable."
"Your dean is deliberately flattering me," Li Xuewu chuckled, then asked, "Does he still come to work here?"
"I'll come again, but I'm just busy."
Shangguan Qi had also learned the art of speaking, and explained with a smile, "His office has been moved to the group's office, so this place has been vacated."
"Do you understand what he means?"
Li Xuewu went up the steps to the third floor, glanced back at Shangguan Qi, and said, "This is the place waiting to be filled. It's up to you now."
"I will try my best."
Shangguan Qi nodded somewhat shyly, but still bravely agreed.
She knew exactly what the leader was talking about; she had thought about it for a long time after the secretary-general spoke with her last time.
Finally, he took his thoughts home and discussed them with his parents. In the end, he made up his mind because of the news that the mainland and America had broken the ice.
Since the mainland is willing to engage in dialogue with America and actively carry out foreign affairs activities, and considering the current domestic economic development situation, it can be judged that the future working environment will get better and better.
She works at Honggang Group and has witnessed the group's growth and expansion over the years, so she is very confident.
Li Xuewu smiled when he saw her like this, even though he hadn't trained any young people since he was transferred out of the security system.
However, he still pays close attention to the development of young cadres in the group, especially young and capable research project leaders like Shangguan Qi.
She may have excellent research capabilities in the scientific research field, but such technical personnel can be recruited by a group of companies that invest resources.
It is not easy to find talents who are cultivated by ourselves, have high loyalty, management skills and resilience.
Li Xuewu's plan for Shangguan Qi is that he will become the head of the Honggang Group's Scientific Research Institute in the future, and that a young cadre with a high level of education, technical and scientific knowledge should be involved in the management.
Whether a company is dynamic or not depends on the management's attitude towards young cadres: whether they actively cultivate them or arbitrarily exploit them.
Every leader who came to Honggang Group for research said that they could see a vibrant and positive side in Honggang.
Where does this feeling come from?
It's very simple: the proportion of young cadres and staff in the group's headquarters has increased, and key personnel positions are gradually becoming younger.
A few days ago, Li Huaide, the group's general manager, proposed in a speech that the group's "three-three-three plan" for cadres at the deputy division level and above should be realized by 75.
The "333 Plan" refers to the age of 30, three years, and 30%.
The plan aims to cultivate a group of deputy-department-level group management cadres around 30 years old, with a three-year training and assessment period, ultimately reducing the average age of the entire management team to 30% of cadres under 40 years old.
The goal is quite clear: to rejuvenate the group's management strategy and enhance its competitiveness and fighting capacity.
Everyone says that veteran cadres have experience, but they don't have the energy. Li Huaide is well aware of his current work capabilities.
Let him be the leader of the group, he can use his experience and wisdom to make and plan development decisions, but if you put him in a department, he'll be in his coffin in less than three years.
Previously, during the process of group-based development, a reform to promote younger cadres was carried out forcefully at the organizational level.
A large number of section-level cadres in the government agencies, who had reached the end of their service life and had lost their initiative and competitiveness, were transferred to the grassroots level.
The group then selected and appointed a group of young cadres from the grassroots level to fill positions in the headquarters.
After a period of adjustment, the group headquarters' operational efficiency has significantly improved. These young cadres are principled in their work, have little concern for personal relationships, and never procrastinate when faced with difficult tasks.
Those seasoned veterans were reassigned to the grassroots level, where they had to face complex working environments and interact directly with workers, thus correcting their work attitudes.
They used to be able to hum and haw when dealing with officials who came from below, but now they dare not.
In particular, every year a group of young people trained by vocational and technical colleges join the group, and their pressure increases year by year.
Hongxing Steel Group Vocational and Technical College sounds like a third-rate training institution, but that's not actually the case.
The vocational and technical college has a secondary vocational school section, a junior college section, and a continuing education college for outstanding young workers. These educational resources support the group's needs for advanced production capacity.
Within the vocational and technical college, there is also the 721, which is the cadre academy, and this is the cradle for cultivating young cadres in the group.
Even branch managers like Xu Sinian and Kuang Yusheng could feel the pressure from these young cadres, which shows how strong Li Huaide's efforts were in promoting the rejuvenation of the group's cadres.
Li Xuewu favored Shangguan Qi, and Li Huaide also had a good impression of her, so she scored very high in the organization's assessment.
“We’ve borrowed a group of technical personnel from Beijing Instruments.” Shangguan Qi led him to the laboratory and began to introduce the project’s research progress.
"It is mainly used in the field of home appliances. We are currently carrying out a special technical research project, mainly to connect with electronics factories."
She pulled out some information and continued, "The electronics factory provides the technical challenges, and we are responsible for analyzing and overcoming them."
"This is just one idea. We also sent technicians to the factory to collect problems," Shangguan Qi said, taking out several solutions from the documents. "These are cases that have been solved and applied to actual production."
"We also partnered with electronics factories to establish a dedicated department to purchase advanced electrical appliances from abroad for disassembly and research."
She looked at Li Xuewu and reported, "Dean Xia gave us an idea, saying that it was proposed by you, and that we can carry out reverse engineering."
"Yes, I said that."
Li Xuewu readily admitted it, picked up a design proposal for electronic components of a television set, and looked at it.
He has some knowledge of electronics industry technology, but only a superficial understanding, which he learned on the job.
After putting down the documents in his hand, Li Xuewu continued to explain, "You're in R&D, so of course you know how difficult it is to catch up with new technologies."
"We are currently in a stage where our production technology is relatively advanced, but our independent research and development is lagging behind."
He emphasized, "The reason we say that our production technology is relatively advanced is because we are comparing it with our domestic counterparts. Compared with the world's leading electronic and electrical appliance manufacturers, we still have some gaps."
"Moreover, even though we have relatively advanced productivity in China, we still rely entirely on imported foreign production equipment and technology, which is the real weakness."
“I understand what you mean.” Shangguan Qi nodded and reported, “We are also actively learning, especially from foreign experts who come to work for the group.”
"I've told you this before, so I won't repeat it this time."
Li Xuewu looked at her earnestly and emphasized, "You must keep in mind that while we should show full sincerity to the experts and scholars who come to help us with the construction, we must also remember to protect each other."
Hearing this, Shangguan Qi still felt lingering fear when she thought about what had happened in the past.
It was about what their family experienced in Bingfei back then; when they talked about it, their family was treated the same way.
However, the secretary-general's meaning was somewhat different, and he suggested that she carry it out personally.
Harmfulness is not allowed, and defensiveness is indispensable.
This is a sentence her father once said. Now, as the project leader, deputy director, and soon to compete for the position of vice dean, she is able to understand the profound meaning and significance behind this sentence.
"You are still young, so maintain your enthusiasm for your work, but also be vigilant about protecting your technology."
Li Xuewu could see the change in her emotions, so he nodded and said, "Trust in technology, trust in science, but don't trust the reputation of experts."
"We should be confident when we need to conduct independent research and development, and we should not be ashamed when we need to reverse engineer and learn from other people's advanced technologies."
He smiled and said, "You might think I'm being unreasonable, but there's no such thing as patented technology in China right now."
"I understand what you mean." Shangguan Qi had figured it out and replied with a smile, "Try every possible way to learn other people's techniques, and then try every possible way to protect your own techniques."
"That's how I see it." Li Xuewu nodded at her with satisfaction and said, "Sometimes business is just that unreasonable."
"Actually, foreign companies are the same."
Shangguan Qi wasn't a patent defender, and shrugged, saying, "They'll find ways to circumvent patent barriers whenever they encounter them."
"If they can't get around the issue, they'll resort to changing the subject, even going so far as to go to court and spend money to drag the case out for a long time, as long as they can make money during that period."
She pursed her lips and said, "Even if they lose the case in the end, they will have already earned the corresponding compensation."
"Therefore, technological barriers are not very strong."
Li Xuewu looked at the documents on the table and said, "Production barriers are the core and the key."
“With the same technology, my production capacity and costs are lower than yours. Combined with excellent sales methods, our market competitiveness is different.”
"I've reviewed the materials you brought back from Japan," Shangguan Qi reported, sitting diagonally opposite him. "Regarding the electronics industry, from the perspective of our research institute, there's still a long way to go in terms of independent research and development."
Seeing Li Xuewu looking at her, she explained frankly, "It is possible for us to concentrate our efforts and spare no expense to overcome a technology."
"But there's a prerequisite: this technology must be crucial, and only after it's mastered can costs be reduced and substantial profits obtained."
She raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm afraid that we'll just achieve a technological breakthrough here, and then the price we're buying from outside will drop to the production line price."
"I heard that the International Business Division has also established supply chain procurement channels overseas, and many electronic components can now be sourced from abroad."
“Yes, that’s true.” Li Xuewu nodded and said, “That’s why I said we must master core technologies.”
He picked up a disassembled screw from the table and said, "Why are you guys studying this thing? There are plenty of manufacturers in China that can produce it."
"The purpose of the group in building the supply chain is to simplify scientific research and optimize production costs."
“Yes, we’ve discussed this in our internal meetings.” Shangguan Qi thought for a moment and said, “Actually, we’d rather go out and see the world.”
Seeing Li Xuewu frown slightly, she explained, "Didn't you say you reached a technological cooperation agreement with Panasonic of Japan? Do we have the opportunity to visit and exchange ideas with their research institutions?"
“I raised this issue when I met with their representative.” Seeing that she meant it, Li Xuewu nodded and said, “They certainly said they welcome any form of technical exchange.”
"But, putting ourselves in their shoes, we treasure our own little bit of technology that we've developed behind closed doors, but what about others?"
He pursed his lips and said, "But don't be discouraged. I will definitely open channels for technical exchange and learning for you."
"It's simply a transaction. We can exchange their technology for market access and cooperation, and we can also exchange technology."
"The investment in Sanhe Co., Ltd. has been restored." Shangguan Qi said, as if remembering something. "And they have also submitted a group of researchers."
"They should be going through the process now. Once the application is approved, the Electronic Technology Research Institute in Liaodong will be ready."
"Don't have too much hope."
Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "Sanhe also operates in the low-end electronics industry in Japan. It has high-end technology, but it is all purchased."
"Their independent research and development capabilities are built on the relatively advanced and sound environment of Japan's electronics industry, and have little to do with themselves."
“We are aware of that, and we have discussed it.” Shangguan Qi thought for a moment and then asked, “Can the Electronic Technology Research Institute import those technologies from Japan through Sanhe?”
“This will definitely be subject to review,” Li Xuewu explained to her. “Currently, the electronics industry has become a pillar industry of the Japanese economy, and they have a strong sense of protection.”
"We still need to rely on our own efforts and work hard."
Shangguan Qi smiled, looked at the slogans hanging on the wall, and said helplessly, "That's why I said there's still a long way to go in independent research and development."
"It's okay, it's okay to walk a little slower, as long as we keep walking."
Li Xuewu encouraged her, saying, "No matter how difficult this road is, we must persevere if we want to establish ourselves in the electronics industry."
-
In the afternoon, he went to visit the Academy of Sciences. When he came out, Shangguan Qi took the initiative to invite him to dinner, saying it was a return invitation from last time.
Li Xuewu couldn't even remember the last time he invited her to dinner, and since he had no other intentions, he declined, citing family matters.
It was clear that Shangguan Qi was somewhat disappointed by his rejection, but she quickly masked it.
Li Xuewu never imagined that she had any improper thoughts about him; he wasn't that narcissistic.
It's just a change in feelings driven by a desire for strength. Women are always influenced by their mindset and unconsciously bring their work into their lives.
At work, Li Xuewu is a leader and a young cadre recognized by the group as having vision, ability, and achievements.
But she had never met Li Xuewu in real life, and did not know that he liked to sleep in late, rarely washed his own clothes, and never cooked.
This is still considering it from the perspective of a lover. If it were a romantic relationship, these things could be ignored, but what about time?
They only see each other once in a long while because of work. Even if they had that kind of relationship, would they be able to see each other more often?
Li Xuewu hoped to see young cadres like her grow up, but he absolutely had no intention of taking care of her in his daily life.
There was no special care given to her at work. What she could feel was the importance and attention that Li Xuewu, and even the group led by Li Huaide, placed on scientific research.
She has a preference for scientific research, so she can feel this preference, but it's not a personal preference.
"Aren't you going out for a drink tonight?"
Bai Changmin didn't know how he ended up calling his home, and jokingly asked, "We all want to learn from you."
"What are you studying? Drinking?" Li Xuewu hugged his son and laughed, "Isn't that something you can do with just a mouth?"
Li Ning fiddled with the toy in his hand; it was brought back by his father.
He couldn't make a sound while his dad was on the phone, but he wanted to spend more time with his dad, so he sat down next to him.
"Hahaha—" Bai Changmin laughed on the other end of the phone, "Even a teapot has a spout, but I've never seen a teapot drink alcohol."
"Aren't you staying tomorrow? How about we go out for a drink?"
He continued teasingly, "If you come, I'll call Gu Litong again, and he'll definitely come too."
"No, I have to go back tomorrow."
Li Xuewu looked up at his son, smiled, and patted his little head, saying, "There are still many things to do in Liaodong."
"This guy's got you all worked up—"
When Bai Changmin heard that he was going back to Liaodong the next day, he joked, "You could be called an aerial acrobat."
"I'm nothing yet," Li Xuewu said with a laugh. "You'll be really busy when Honggang Group's business covers the whole country."
"Fine, if you don't want to come, then don't come."
Bai Changmin explained helplessly, "I was thinking that if you could come, I would drink less."
"No, I'm not going. I've finally come back, so I naturally want to spend time with my family."
Seeing Gu Ning enter the living room carrying her bag, Li Xuewu said to Bai Changmin, "Alright, we're about to eat. I'm not going to chat with you anymore."
When did you get back?
Seeing that he had hung up the phone, Gu Ning asked, "Why didn't I hear you say that? Did I forget?"
"No, I have an urgent meeting." Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I have to head back after the meeting tomorrow."
He put his arm around Li Ning and looked at Gu Ning, asking, "Why are you leaving get off work so early today? Don't you have any surgeries?"
"The surgery was done this morning, not this afternoon." Gu Ning looked him over, sat down on the sofa, and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Hehe, what could be wrong?" Li Xuewu smiled and looked at her. Seeing that she seemed a little nervous, he asked, "Did something happen?"
“Hmm…” Gu Ning hesitated for a moment, but still said, “Our Vice Dean Zhang has been taken away, supposedly to cooperate with an investigation.”
"Old Zhang?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked, "What problem could he have? Has any news leaked out?"
"I don't know, I've never heard of that."
Gu Ning frowned and said, "Some people are saying it's related to the previous paper reviews..."
"Don't overthink it," Li Xuewu emphasized earnestly. "I assure you, Mom and I would never do anything underhanded."
“If Mom has a problem with him, she will definitely call him directly.”
He raised an eyebrow. "If I have a problem with him, I won't call him. Instead, I'll wait for him to call me. Sooner or later, he'll have to ask me for help."
"So neither I nor Mom will make things difficult for him. It must be that he didn't explain something clearly. Don't listen to their gossip."
"Okay, I understand." Gu Ning's mood was still somewhat heavy. She nodded and stood up, saying, "I'm going to change my clothes."
"Dinner's almost ready. Come downstairs once you've changed your clothes."
Li Xuewu patted his son on the back and said, "Go see if your sister has finished her homework. Tell her she can't eat until she finishes it."
"Dad, I wouldn't dare say that."
Li Ning shook his head and said, "My sister really dares to hit me—"
Li Xuewu was amused by his son's serious expression. Seeing that Gu Ning had gone upstairs, he took a storybook and read it with his son.
Gu Ning's working environment at work has never been very good. Before marriage, she had her fiery sister-in-law, Mu Hongyan, to take care of her, and after marriage, he has been there to maintain things.
Since they got married, he has often taken care of her colleagues in the department, bringing them fruit and gifts, just to help her maintain relationships.
He rarely brings work home, but he once invited his colleagues from his department to his home for dinner and drank alcohol.
Even though things remained the same, Gu Ning's aloof personality meant she wasn't ostracized at work, but she didn't have many friends either.
People in the department knew her background and, more importantly, knew that Li Xuewu was capable, so they would take care of her to some extent.
But among so many medical staff in the hospital, there are always some who are jealous and resentful. Even if they have nothing to do with her, they will still say a few words about her behind her back.
Who told her to be born beautiful and marry well?
That's how people and things are in this world. There will always be people who hate you for no reason, and people who are deliberately jealous. They can't even be bothered to maintain a superficial relationship.
Gu Ning is not the same as before. In the past, she would keep all the pressure of the workplace inside, and her repressed personality became increasingly cold, and she refused to socialize.
But now, with Li Xuewu's care, her personality has changed a lot, and she is able and willing to share her inner pressure with him.
The more this happens, the greater the emotional fluctuations she exhibits, because she has found a way and an object to alleviate them.
Li Xuewu believes that the best way to relieve work pressure is to spend time with family and to enjoy their company.
***
"Originally, you were going back to Liaodong, so I shouldn't have taken up your time."
Xue Zhifu frowned slightly and explained, "But there are some things I still want to talk to you about, and I also want to ask for your opinion."
"What's the matter that you're so serious about?"
Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is it my problem, or is it a problem with the industry in Northeast China?"
"No, it's about Comrade Li Haiyang."
Xue Zhifu gave him an answer that he had expected, but which was also somewhat unexpected.
He said he had expected it because he wasn't optimistic about Li Haiyang's transfer, but he said it was unexpected because he didn't expect Xue Zhifu to have his eye on him so early.
Is there something wrong with him?
“Yes, our comrades are still investigating, and of course you will keep it a secret for us.” Xue Zhifu nodded and said, “I would like to hear your evaluation of him during his time working at the Steel City Metallurgical Plant.”
"In which aspect?" Li Xuewu frowned and asked, "He is the deputy factory director in charge of personnel, but we don't have much contact in our daily lives."
"Have you shown any radical behavior at work?" Xue Zhifu pondered for a moment and explained, "For example, opinions expressed in meetings, etc."
“That’s normal.” Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, “If you have any concerns, you can check the meeting minutes.”
He looked at Xue Zhifu and emphasized, "Although I was the director of the metallurgical plant at the time, as you know, my focus was never there."
"That's all I know about him. If he has any problems, I'm willing to take responsibility."
"It's too early to talk about that."
Xue Zhifu waved his hand and said, "We just wanted to find out from the side. After all, you've been working together for almost three years, so you should know each other well."
“That’s really not true,” Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and said, “As you know, when I was in the capital, I rarely socialized in my spare time.”
Even if I have social engagements, I won't bring him along. Our interactions are limited to work-related matters.
He looked at Xue Zhifu and asked, "Can I know what's wrong with him?"
"Yes, you're a member of the team, and I still trust you."
Xue Zhifu thought for a moment and explained, "After Comrade Li Haiyang was transferred to the Labor Service Corporation, he took a series of actions. This month, we have received several letters of complaint with real names, all of which are about his domineering style."
“He was a bit too aggressive in his management. In just over a month since he took over, he has already dealt with several cadres and had conflicts with the leadership of the Labor Service Corporation.”
"Only a month?" Li Xuewu frowned and asked, "Was his behavior very serious?"
“Well, how should I put it,” Xue Zhifu thought for a moment and said, “Three fires are appropriate, but there’s no need to burn them like this.”
"Moreover, someone reported in the letter that he was extravagant in the use of funds and in the approval of financial applications, which caused a waste of resources."
"Then let's arrange for an investigation team to look into it."
Li Xuewu's brow remained furrowed as he said, "This is both your normal work procedure and a way to protect him."
“That’s true, but his tenure in this post has been too short.” Xue Zhifu said with difficulty, “If we investigate now, I’m afraid it will cause some controversy.”
"We need to give young cadres time to train and grow, and also give them the opportunity to make mistakes, but I'm afraid that the problems will become too deep-rooted."
He sighed and said, "Everyone knows his relationship with Director Li, and I don't want to complicate things too much."
"Your thinking is already quite complicated."
Li Xuewu glanced at him and reminded him, "You are the head of the inspection team. This kind of hesitant personality is not acceptable."
“I’m emphasizing this point, but if things drag on like this, and it really becomes as bad as you say, you also bear some responsibility.”
"It's only been a little over a month—"
Xue Zhifu sighed again and said, "Let's at least try to play it safe."
"You're not thinking of handing these letters over to him to handle, are you?"
Li Xuewu immediately understood what Xue Zhifu was thinking in his predicament. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Once the rules are broken, it will be difficult to rebuild trust."
"Of course not." Xue Zhifu glanced at him and said, "I've already sent people down to verify the situation."
"Then just wait." Li Xuewu looked him over again and asked, "How do you need my cooperation?"
He said calmly, "Is it to retrieve the data, or to organize the metallurgical plant's cadres to cooperate with the investigation? There's no need for that."
“Yes, I was just asking.” Xue Zhifu nodded and said, “I just want to know about his previous work at the metallurgical plant.”
“That’s definitely more conservative than you say,” Li Xuewu said. “Being a deputy and being the main person in charge are two different things; the mindset is completely different.”
"I can only say that he was very stable when he worked in the steel city. He was the same in his character and work, nothing special."
He understood Xue Zhifu's predicament, since the relationship between Li Haiyang and Li Huaide was unavoidable.
Moreover, he knew that Li Haiyang must have been influenced by Li Huaide, otherwise he would never have dared to be so domineering.
Furthermore, it was he who took the initiative to coordinate this year, acting as a matchmaker for Xue Zhifu and Lao Li, which led to Xue Zhifu's further advancement.
During the core group meetings, Xue Zhifu supported Lao Li's opinions several times and was able to actively address the issues, which is quite commendable.
The restoration of their relationship also meant that Lao Li regained control of the group, and Li Xuewu provided some guarantees for this.
Xue Zhifu doesn't want to break ties with Li Huaide, but he can't just sit idly by and watch Li Haiyang make one mistake after another, because he also bears responsibility.
If it had been a long time, he would have investigated properly, instead of acting like he was deliberately targeting Li Haiyang.
He had already thought of everything. Old Li would definitely care and think that he was ungrateful and would turn his back on Old Li.
That's why he approached Li Xuewu, hoping to indirectly get Li Xuewu to help coordinate or explain things to him.
Li Xuewu really disliked being a translator and a mouthpiece, but he didn't want the two of them to argue about this again.
"You keep checking on your end, and I'll try to figure something out."
He could only sigh and say, "However, I still suggest you follow the procedures, ask the questions you need to ask, and handle the matters that need to be handled."
"After all, as the general manager of the labor service company, he should actively cooperate in handling such a complaint."
"Okay, then that's the only way for now."
Xue Zhifu thought for a moment and said, "I'll talk to him again when a suitable result comes out."
"I think this is a safer approach."
Li Xuewu looked at him and said, "But sometimes principles are the red line. Don't lower your principles for those who have already crossed the red line, or you'll find yourself outside the red line yourself."