mchenry-crisis.org Chapter 1710 Not Bad Looking
Chapter 1710 Not Bad Looking
Chapter 1710 Not Bad Looking
"Secretary-General, do you think our labor service company has the opportunity to develop tertiary industries, or other forms of economic work?"
Just as Li Xuewu won a hand and was shuffling and stacking the cards, Li Haiyang asked this question seemingly unintentionally.
At this moment, Li Huaide and Liu Songhua fell silent. One was like an old cat, and the other was as cunning as a dog.
"Isn't a labor service company itself a tertiary industry?"
Li Xuewu did not answer his question directly, but smiled faintly, threw the dice in his hand, determined the number, and then drew four cards from the opposite side.
Sitting opposite him was Liu Songhua, the head of Red Star Literature and Art, whose eyes were darting around so much he couldn't keep up.
Look at Li Haiyang's embarrassed expression, Li Huaide's calm and composed demeanor, and then there's the scheming secretary-general.
"This is the first time I've heard of this." He was kind-hearted and didn't want Li Haiyang to feel awkward, so he took the initiative to say something.
Unfortunately, he didn't know that Li Haiyang didn't have the guts to play any tricks in front of Li Xuewu and didn't dare to respond at all.
"We are not the first to industrialize the labor service industry."
Li Huaide wasn't in good health, but his eyesight was excellent; he captured the very first card Li Xuewu played.
He gathered the mahjong tiles in his hand and said slowly, "But it's rare to see something of this scale."
"This is all thanks to the Secretary-General."
Liu Songhua smiled, completely unconcerned about Li Xuewu's awkward silence, and tried his best to move forward with a warm smile.
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled and looked at Li Huaide, saying, "This is what Director Liu said."
Li Huaide smiled and said, "Good, this proves that the masses have discerning eyes."
"What a pity, he's not one of the masses."
Everyone knows what Li Xuewu is saying; it's like an old sow wearing a bra, one set after another.
You hear him say something unremarkable in the first sentence, as if it doesn't mean anything, but the second sentence is sure to poke your ass.
If you still don't understand, then you're doomed. You'll die before you even get halfway through the third sentence.
Liu Songhua was rebuffed, and with a dry laugh, he picked up his cards and played, not daring to interrupt on the topic.
"But speaking of which, you were the one who came up with the slogan for the labor service company, right?"
Li Huaide glanced at him, then emphasized to Li Haiyang, "You need to learn this, and it would be best to understand it."
“Understanding is not enough—” Li Haiyang said sincerely and humbly, “I will try to apply what I have learned.”
"Hehehe—" Old Li chuckled and glanced at him, saying, "Regretting it now?"
"I never asked for advice before, and now I can't even find anyone to help me."
"Hehe—" Li Haiyang dared to speak only because his superiors had paved the way, but he also took the initiative to lower his posture.
Liu Songhua was really confused. He thought to himself that even if you treat people differently based on their status, there was no need to make fun of him.
His words are worthless, but Mr. Li's words are valuable?
Judging from Li Xuewu's attitude, this card game might not end well today.
He still didn't understand Li Xuewu, let alone the relationships and conflicts between the other three people at the card table besides him.
How could Li Xuewu possibly embarrass Li Haiyang in front of Li Huaide?
Besides, Li Haiyang had worked under him in the steel city for several years, so it could be considered a kind of workplace connection.
"Is it that sentence engraved on the wall as soon as you enter the Labor Service Company?" Liu Songhua took a while to realize what it meant and asked, "The one about service creating value?"
"Hehehe—" Old Li chuckled and said, "How about that? Of everyone in the group, only the Secretary-General can condense words so succinctly; his skill is unfathomable."
"You forgot one more thing—"
Li Xuewu could tell that he was speaking up for Li Haiyang and was trying to ease tensions between the parties.
He couldn't hold out any longer, so he joked, "The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves, and the front waves die on the beach."
"Hahaha—" Li Huaide laughed and said, "I've heard the first line before, but you added the second one?"
He shook his head and said, "You mean me? Am I the old guard?"
“Of course you are, and so am I.” Li Xuewu smiled and said, “Young people these days are getting more and more capable.”
This sentence can be considered a summary of Li Haiyang's self-destructive career. Saying it out loud will save Lao Li from having any grudges.
However, for Li Haiyang, his face flushed instantly when his idol, whom he had always studied and admired, made such a comment about him. He thought, "What kind of young generation am I?"
If we consider the group's cadres of all ages at this time, with General Manager Li and others as the pioneers who created the legend, then the Secretary-General is the next wave among the pioneers, and the wave within the wave among the next.
"Times have changed. Since last month, everyone's discussions have revolved around economic issues."
Li Huaide touched the mahjong tiles and said, "Look now, even labor services have to create value."
"All labor has value."
Li Xuewu smiled and looked at Li Haiyang, who was facing the next person, and asked, "People discuss economic work because they need money to develop their businesses. Why are you guys trying to develop tertiary industries? Is the group cutting your funding?"
"No, not at all, hehehe—"
Li Haiyang smiled sheepishly, but he was still willing to share his thoughts and feelings with Li Xuewu.
"I am young and entrusted with such an important position by the group, so I must be responsible for the employees of the labor service company."
He explained, "Other units and departments have special funds and economic sources, but we are the only ones still relying on finances."
"Just as you said, the economic wave has truly arrived." Li Xuewu smiled helplessly and said, "If even logistics support units are thinking about making money—"
He didn't finish his sentence, but Li Huaide already understood. His gaze swept over Li Haiyang, a thoughtful look on his face.
Li Haiyang had been his secretary for almost five years and had followed Li Xuewu around for almost three years. How could he not understand anything?
Seeing the two leaders say this, he became a little anxious and explained, "I didn't mean to use the formal employees of the labor service company, but rather the children of those employees who haven't been able to find jobs yet. That's the real problem."
“He meant well,” Li Huaide gave an ambiguous assessment, but said nothing more afterward.
Silence fell over the card table. Liu Songhua dared not say anything more, while Li Haiyang was still waiting for Li Xuewu.
Li Huaide, confident in his status, spoke with authority, and the main purpose of today's card game was not for the labor service company's finances; the topic was brought up by Li Haiyang.
Since Li Haiyang was brought back to manage the Labor Service Corporation, Lao Li naturally hoped that he could make a difference in his position.
But as I said before, he's too young. Even Li Xuewu knows to take the initiative to go down and train, so what makes him so young?
At this point, if Li Haiyang were to be so smart, he should have taken the initiative to keep a low profile and work at the labor service company to temper his mindset.
Instead of blindly learning from Li Xuewu, the phrase "young and promising" is a passive description, not something actively sought.
Is the employment problem for employees' children really that prominent right now?
Li Xuewu had actually paid attention to this issue, but in the past two years in the steel city, his main work has focused on those four areas.
If we don't look at the issue from the group's perspective, we pay less attention to these kinds of employee-related issues.
Seeing that he had asked, Li Haiyang reported, "Our group has already completed the reform of the personnel system, and with the vocational college as a pathway, the problem is not so obvious yet."
"However, as you know, in recent years, many young people have been unwilling to leave the city due to the rural outreach programs, and some have even resorted to extreme measures."
He said in a somewhat heavy tone, "The case is the same for Chen Huansheng's family, who works for the labor service company's cleaning team."
"His family has six sons and three daughters. Two of his sons were lucky enough to get jobs in factories, but only two of his other children were admitted to vocational colleges."
"It's the one who hanged himself, right?" Liu Songhua suddenly asked, then nodded and said, "It was indeed too tragic."
In fact, Li Huaide didn't like to hear these kinds of topics. Under his leadership, Honggang Group made rapid progress, and its employee welfare benefits were among the best in Beijing.
While some discordant events at this time cannot erase his efforts and achievements, they will make his report card seem cold and impersonal.
What good are the benefits if employees' families face hardship and you just stand by and do nothing?
“It’s their eighth son. He absolutely refused to go to the countryside. He said he heard from those who ran back that they were so hungry they couldn’t walk.”
Li Haiyang's voice grew increasingly low as he explained, "Because he was afraid of going hungry, he was persuaded by his parents to take such an extreme step."
"This has nothing to do with our group's work, and the decision to go to the countryside was not made by us."
Seeing that Li Huaide's expression was not good, Liu Songhua took the initiative to ease the atmosphere and emphasized, "If possible, it would be best to recruit all the children of employees."
“What are you saying?” Li Huaide glanced at him with slight displeasure and said, “The existing personnel management system is the red line and standard for the group’s standardized management, and it cannot be changed.”
Liu Songhua hadn't expected that his attempt at flattery would backfire so badly that he lowered his head in embarrassment to look at the cards in his hand.
Li Xuewu was too lazy to pay attention to him. Seeing that Old Li understood this principle, he didn't continue to talk about this issue.
"If it's to solve the employment problem for employees' children, then we can think of a solution."
As soon as he said that, all three of them looked at him, forgetting even the cards in their hands.
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu knew they had misunderstood, so he chuckled and said, "Of course, I'm not talking about the group expanding its recruitment, but about helping them create jobs."
“I have thought about that,” Li Haiyang explained. “Now, most of the employees’ children buy three-wheeled motorcycles to run transportation or work as temporary workers at freight stations.”
Beijing Railway and Honggang Group had a long-standing partnership, and after deepening their cooperation in 67, they jointly established this joint freight station located next to the freight railway station.
At first, the business volume was not very large, but as Honggang Group and its trade evolved into a supply chain, Honggang Group itself had two refrigerated trains, and with the addition of Beijing Railway, the throughput increased dramatically.
The main reason is that this is the capital city; anything transported here will sell easily.
Honggang Group's sales are doing well, and its supporting freight system is also very efficient. Since its own transportation team couldn't handle the workload, it brought in social transportation forces.
For example, Yan Jiefang was among the first to work in freight transportation because his father was a teacher at the primary school affiliated with the Hongxing Factory, which qualified him to participate in transportation tasks.
However, the freight station doesn't restrict this anymore. Anyone can go and do it. As long as the goods are delivered, the freight will be settled on the same day.
"How much work can a freight station do that requires so many three-wheeled motorcycles?" Li Huaide neither agreed nor disagreed with his idea; such a copycat idea was nothing new.
Li Haiyang smiled sheepishly and explained, "I wanted to outsource some of the labor service company's business to them."
"Oh? What kind of business?" Li Huaide, not expecting him to continue, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where does your labor service company get so many transportation tasks?"
"Yes, we do it every day, and the volume is quite large," Li Haiyang said proactively. "Just the garbage collection alone requires a lot, not to mention the transportation of supplies and such."
He explained, "If we apply for vehicles ourselves or request vehicles from the transport team, there may be delays or waste of resources. These temporary vehicles are very suitable."
“Yes, and the labor service company has a wide business scope and a wide coverage.” Li Xuewu looked at Lao Li and said, “Just the three industrial zones and the trade zone alone will require a lot of vehicles.”
“The main issue is people.” Li Huaide thought for a moment and said, “Outsourcing some business to group employees is indeed a solution.”
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said to Li Haiyang, "You should first draft a plan and submit it to President Jing for review. Let's see how much money we can save."
After saying that, Old Li smiled again and said, "Of course, saving money is not the goal. Solving the personnel resettlement problem can put the employees at ease."
"However, we still need a plausible reason. Even if we need to take care of the employees' children, it can't be too obvious."
He emphasized to Li Haiyang, "Once is enough, and once this starts, it will likely become even more troublesome in the future. If this is the first time, it could become even more complicated."
"Secretary-General, you haven't said anything yet."
Li Haiyang agreed to Lao Li's request, but then looked at his supplier Li Xuewu and said, "Please help us and give us some guidance."
"Isn't your idea quite good?"
Li Xuewu smiled and said, "So what if I can turn stones into gold? You actually believe those people outside who talk nonsense?"
"Hahaha—" Li Huaide laughed first, and then Liu Songhua followed suit, saying, "That's what everyone says."
"We can't believe everyone who says that."
Li Xuewu said with a smile, "Don't say I don't have the skill to turn stones into gold; even if I did, I wouldn't dare to do it randomly."
“Economic work cannot be all talk and no action. If you only think about making more money and making it faster, that’s a gambler’s mentality.”
He said earnestly, "Remember, nothing comes for free. And even if something did fall from the sky, it wouldn't fall into our mouths."
"Hehehe—" Li Haiyang nodded with a smile and said, "You said that to us before, and I still remember it."
"My advice to you is to refine your work and make reasonable adjustments to the structure and division of labor."
Li Xuewu tapped the mahjong tiles in his hand and said, "You need to focus on your work. Only by making the structure operate more smoothly can the labor service company create value."
Don't be fooled by Lao Li's claim that the labor service company isn't important; that's pure nonsense, just a way to appease others.
He himself came from a logistics background, so he knew the ins and outs of this matter best.
Even now, Li Xuewu still feels sorry for Li Haiyang. It's almost certain that even if he doesn't commit any crimes a few years later, he will suffer the consequences of this "helicopter" promotion.
When he sits across from the investigation team and they ask him why he was promoted from deputy factory director to general manager of the head office, he has to have solid achievements to back him up.
Li Xuewu knew that Li Haiyang wanted to learn from him in everything, even in terms of age.
But you should know that every step he took, though short and seemingly dangerous, was actually paved with achievements.
Moreover, he has double insurance: even if he ends up sitting across from the working group in the future, who would dare ask him such a question?
Why he got this position? If you don't know, just ask anyone in the Honggang Group.
To question his work performance, one must question his academic achievements and his qualifications as an associate professor.
That's going to be interesting. After all this, he really didn't believe anyone could keep investigating until the very end.
If someone actually did this, he would be eager to present the other party with a banner of appreciation, because the deeper he digs, the more advantageous it is for him.
Dong Wenxue couldn't resist digging, so he gave up halfway. Cheng Kaiyuan didn't even have time to dig; he was finished after only shoveling a layer of soil.
Regardless of whether Li Huaide took the initiative to plead for Li Haiyang or it was Li Xuewu who did it, Li Xuewu considered it all in the past.
However, even if Li Haiyang can get past this hurdle, he may not be able to get past the ones in the future.
It would be good if he could hold out until the working group that was supposed to rectify the large-scale study campaign came down a few years later.
He is able to uphold the bottom line and avoid making mistakes on the red lines of his position because he has higher ideals.
With a young cadre like Li Haiyang under a corrupt leader like Li Huaide, it would be strange if he didn't go astray.
What did Li Huaide arrange for him to do at the labor service company?
You have to understand how much manpower and service capacity a labor service company controls within a group; any loophole could be a serious offense that could get you shot.
Today, Li Haiyang humbly sought advice, but he dared not offer any suggestions. Good ideas were useless to him, and useful ideas were beyond his ability to implement.
He decided not to participate in Lao Li's move, otherwise he wouldn't be able to explain himself to the working group later.
What if Li Haiyang says that everything he did was taught by Li Xuewu?
So from the very beginning, he never intended to have anything to do with Li Haiyang again, and the fact that they were still able to sit together and play cards was entirely out of face.
Working in a group, there are no absolute friends or absolute enemies. Everyone is just doing their job, so who would intentionally make enemies?
Therefore, in Liu Songhua's opinion, the card game that was difficult to end ended at around 11 p.m.
It wasn't that Li Xuewu wanted to rest early, but rather that Old Li's purse was empty; the "money-bringing boy" truly lived up to his name.
Liu Songhua, that dog, dared not win, yet feared that Lao Li would see through his deliberate act of putting on airs. He dared not not win, yet feared that if he won too much, he would not dare to take the money. He hesitated, looking back and forth.
This kind of fighting style is no match for ruthless and decisive guys like Li Xuewu and Li Haiyang.
Even so, Li Huaide still lost to Liu Songhua in the first round.
Liu Songhua was afraid that if he won, he would actually lose.
Old Li has extra income and doesn't care about the money at the card table, but it's a problem for the timid Liu Songhua.
That night, Lao Li lost over seventy yuan, and he also lost over sixty yuan; they were evenly matched.
Sixty or seventy dollars was a considerable sum even in 71, when the economy was gradually recovering.
At 70 cents a pound, that's enough to buy 100 pounds of pork.
What kind of illicit gains could Liu Songhua possibly make at the publishing house? Honggang Group is under very strict audit scrutiny due to several accidents.
Jing Yunong is far more ruthless than the average person. She learned from Li Xuewu that she doesn't need to rely on her own people in the group.
That is, monthly or quarterly cross-inventory checks are conducted by drawing personnel from various units, while annual audits are all conducted by external units.
At present, Honggang Group has many affiliated units and related units all over the country, so it is still very convenient to borrow people.
Publishing houses are essentially low-income institutions with very limited funding. If he dares to embezzle funds, the supervisory authorities will not let him off the hook.
It's worth noting that the current head of the group's inspection team is Xue Zhifu, who used to be in charge of inspection work at the Hongxing Factory.
However, given how well Liu Songhua and Li Haiyang are getting along now, the probability of them getting into trouble together in the future has greatly increased.
Liu Songhua alone isn't much of a threat, and Li Haiyang alone isn't dangerous enough either. It's the combination of two terrible chess players that's dangerous.
Add Li Huaide to the mix, and wow, three men together are bound to produce a genius of ideas!
"Brother? Why are you sleeping here?"
As usual, Qin Jingru arrived at Villa No. 11 in Riverside Garden early in the morning to clean, but she didn't expect to see a pair of leather shoes placed at the door as soon as she opened the door.
When she found her way upstairs, she discovered that Li Xuewu, who had returned sometime earlier, was sleeping there.
I promised her long ago that she couldn't start working at the Haiyuncang Villa unless Er Ya was laid off.
It just so happened that a house was allocated in the Riverside Garden area, so she was asked to take care of tidying it up.
It was quite late after the show ended last night, and it wouldn't be appropriate to go home and fuss over it, so I decided to stay at the Unity Hotel.
But as soon as he came out of the room, he saw Han Lu's figure flash by, and he felt helpless.
With Old Li's physique, how could he withstand being abused by a young girl like Han Lu?
Judging from how easily Old Li takes medicine now, it's clear he's completely ignored all the health tips his father gave him.
No matter how much you patch it, it won't be as bad as the leaks.
Having seen Han Lu, he naturally wouldn't stay at the Unity Hotel anymore; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain if something happened.
Liu Songhua and Li Haiyang, not minding disturbing their families, got into one car and traveled back to the city together.
Li Xuewu thought for a moment and suddenly remembered that he had a house nearby, so he asked Qi Yan to bring it over.
Actually, he has many houses, but most of them are in the city. It would be appropriate to go to the workers' new village to find Ran Qiuye, but if this time passes, it will cause chaos, and it won't be good for the neighbors to see it.
So he simply came to the new house he hadn't stayed in for a day, didn't have time to look around carefully, found a room, took a shower, and went to sleep.
Qin Jingru woke him up; otherwise, he could have slept a little longer, as he was too tired last night.
"Yes, you're here." Li Xuewu adjusted his glasses, saw it was her, rubbed his eyes a little dazed, and asked, "What time is it?"
"It's just past 7:30." Qin Jingru walked to the window and helped him pull back the thick cloth curtains, leaving only the white gauze curtains.
"I saw a pair of shoes by the door and thought someone had come," she explained with a smile. "I didn't expect it to be you."
"Director Li played cards very late last night, so he didn't go home." Li Xuewu propped himself up and sat up, waking up slightly before asking, "Why are you here so early?"
"It's still early. Han Jiankun has to go to work. I come here with his car every day."
Qin Jingru helped him straighten his clothes and asked, "Did you bring back a change of clothes?"
"It's in the luggage." Li Xuewu yawned and pointed to the luggage bag in the corner of the room, saying, "It was too late last night, so I had Qi Yan put it there."
"Then you take a shower first, and I'll go prepare breakfast for you."
Qin Jingru tidied up his dirty clothes, found him a change of clothes, gave him a brief explanation, and then left.
Li Xuewu had no idea when the renovation was completed. Qin Jingru seemed to have mentioned it briefly, but he couldn't remember.
After the renovation was completed, he didn't even say he wanted to move in, so how could he be making breakfast?
I got up groggily, and after washing up and changing my clothes, I went downstairs and saw a bowl of porridge, three steamed buns, and two small dishes on the dining table.
"Was this made fresh?" he asked, somewhat surprised. "Or did you bring it from home?"
"We would have started cooking a long time ago, otherwise I would have been busy all day and what would I have eaten for lunch."
Qin Jingru handed him chopsticks and said with a smile, "Sometimes Han Jiankun also comes to have lunch with me."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu asked with a smile after sitting down, "Where's the child? Is the old lady looking after him?"
"Yeah, he got playful and won't follow me anymore."
Qin Jingru explained, "I discussed it with her father in September this year and we decided to send her to kindergarten."
“My mother-in-law is actually not happy about it. She says she is in good health and has no problem taking care of a child.”
She explained with a smile, "My mother-in-law is just stingy with money; she always feels that spending this money is unnecessary."
"It's still very necessary," Li Xuewu said while eating breakfast. "It's good to see the children."
“That’s what I think too. Li Shu was only so young when she went to kindergarten, and look how accomplished she is now.”
Qin Jingru stood to the side, watching him eat, and said casually, "If only our Han Lidong had half of his daughter's adventurous spirit, that would be great."
She often took her children to the sea freight warehouse, so the children from both families often played together.
Han Lidong is younger than Li Shu, so she is called "Miss".
"Li Shu is still too opinionated."
Li Xuewu took a sip of rice porridge, shook his head slightly and said with a smile, "It's because her mother and I don't have time to take care of her."
"Aren't you satisfied yet?" Qin Jingru said with a smile, "People would envy you and wish they could have you. Li Shu is so wonderful."
Seeing that Li Xuewu was eating quickly, she refilled his bowl of rice porridge and jokingly said, "Why don't you give some to our family?"
"Hehe, I'm afraid you can't afford to raise it if I give it to you."
Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "Her mother told me that she wants to learn art again and wants to find a teacher to teach her privately."
"Doesn't the school have an art teacher?" Qin Jingru asked in surprise. "Do we need to find a teacher for individual lessons?"
“At school, we learn according to the teaching plan; here, we learn systematically from a teacher.”
Li Xuewu first offered an explanation, then shook his head and said, "I don't know if she was joking or serious, but I've already arranged things for her."
"She's already working hard enough with her studies, and now she's also learning music and dance?" Qin Jingru felt tired just listening to her and asked, "Did she choose this herself? Does she not want to learn dance anymore?"
“If she didn’t beg us to learn, we wouldn’t bother.” Li Xuewu nodded and said, “Actually, it’s not that I’m worried about the money. It’s good to learn something. I’m just afraid she won’t stick with it.”
"You said Li Shu has a good idea, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it."
Qin Jingru spoke to Li Shu, "Haven't you been learning dance for several years and persevered?"
"Besides, art is also a subject taught in school, so there's no harm in learning more about it."
She said with a hint of envy, "I've been thinking about that. When my son starts elementary school, he should learn something too."
"Your child is already so big, aren't you planning to have a second one?"
Li Xuewu glanced at her and reminded her, "If you want to have children, do it early. The older you get, the more you'll suffer, and it will be harder to recover."
“Her dad doesn’t care, but I know it’s her grandma who wants a grandson,” Qin Jingru explained. “I just don’t want to let Lidong down; it’s better to wait until she’s older.”
"Hmm, let's not think like that."
Li Xuewu reminded her, "How can the elderly treat all children equally? It's no use no matter how old the children are."
"If the interval between siblings is too long, they won't have a deep bond because they won't share the same childhood experiences."
After finishing his meal, Li Xuewu put down his chopsticks and said, "I even told Gu Ning that if she really doesn't want it anymore, then she won't think about it."
"If you still want it, then you can have it this year."
He took a sip of warm water and said, "Li Ning is almost three years old. When he gets a little older, he'll start to think that his younger brother or sister is a burden."
"You think too much," Qin Jingru said with a smile, shaking her head. "I'm just saying whatever comes to mind."
"I'll discuss having a child with Jiankun when we get back. If it doesn't work out, we'll have one sooner rather than later."
She said helplessly, "I feel so tired. I've only been working for you for about half a year."
"It's okay, this position will always be yours."
Li Xuewu knew what she was afraid of, so he stood up and said with a smile, "No one else needs it, I'm saving it for you."
"Then I'm relieved." Qin Jingru joked, "You are my strong support."
Of course she was reluctant to give up this job; working in this new house was both leisurely and respectable.
When she walks out from here, people will look at her with more respect, even if she is not the mistress of this place.
These villas are all occupied by the group's leaders; some have moved in, while others are furnished but temporarily vacant.
When she was in charge of overseeing the renovations here, all the other leaders' family members already knew her.
Knowing that she was the husband of the group's fleet captain and had a kind heart, everyone liked her.
This is Li Xuewu's first time here, but Qin Jingru has been living here for some time.
Compared to Er Ya, she has a much more relaxed life, and her salary is still the same, only the commute is a bit longer.
However, she wanted to maintain the relationship and never thought of taking advantage of Li Xuewu.
She'll take the salary Gu Ning gives her, and once she's done with things here, she'll go to the sea freight warehouse to help Er Ya.
Even though Gu Ning had already said that there was no need to travel back and forth because it was too troublesome, she still insisted.
I usually help out whenever I visit someone's house and see something to do. Now that I'm getting paid, I have to be even more proactive.
Another point is the anxiety mentioned at the dinner table. Compared to Er Ya, she has a family.
I agonized over the issue of having a child for a long time, afraid that it would delay the renovation of this house, so the work was done in a mess.
Now that the house has been handed over, Li Xuewu has inspected it, and he has given his promise, the next step is naturally to have a baby.
-
"Is that my second brother sitting over there?"
Zhou Yao and Li Xue met in the elevator and went to the cafeteria together for lunch.
Just as I returned from the food station, I saw a figure that looked familiar; it resembled my second brother, Li Xuewu.
How could Li Xue not recognize her second brother? Seeing Zhou Yao's signal, she walked over after confirming.
Li Xuewu and Ma Baosen spent the morning working in the office, and in the afternoon they planned to visit the research institute.
She had just taken a sip of soup when Li Xue appeared in front of her with her head tilted to the side, and she almost sprayed the soup all over her face.
"What are you doing—" Li Xue said with displeasure when she saw his suppressed laughter, "Don't you want to see me?"
"Hehe, who told you to scare me?"
Li Xuewu nodded to Zhou Yao and asked, "How did you two end up together?"
"Is that not allowed?" Li Xue glared at her second brother and sat down next to him, while Zhou Yao sat down next to Ma Baosen on the other side.
"I found her on the road," Zhou Yao said with a smile. "Who knows where she lost that silly girl?"
"Hello—" Li Xue glanced at her. The two were now relatives, so they naturally got along very well.
Li Xuewu watched the two playing around, while Ma Baosen seemed a bit reserved.
The main concern is that everyone says the secretary-general's sister is still single, so what if she falls for him?
Li Xue didn't even notice Ma Baosen, and was habitually bickering with Zhou Yao.
Zhou Yao naturally let Li Xuewu have his way in front of her, and the playful banter was over in a few words.
"I didn't even know when you got back."
Li Xue took a bite of rice, looked at her second brother, and asked, "Didn't you say you wouldn't be coming back next month?"
"Meeting, Economic Work Conference."
Li Xuewu explained, "I came back last night, and I have to go back after the meeting."
"So urgent?" Li Xue looked at her second brother and said, "You haven't seen Li Shu and Li Ning yet, have you? They live in the compound."
"No, I haven't even gone home yet."
Li Xuewu shook his head with a wry smile and said, "I finished playing mahjong at almost midnight last night."
"Playing mahjong again?" Li Xue widened her eyes and asked, "With Director Li and the others?"
"Hmm, who else could it be?" Li Xuewu said while eating lunch. "Even if someone else invites me, I won't play."
"How much did you win?" Li Xue grinned like a thief, squinting as she asked, "Was it sixty-five?"
"Hmm? Why do you ask that? It has to be a 65-win situation?" Li Xuewu asked with amusement. "Tell me, what do you want?"
"It's nothing, I'm just short of money, exactly sixty-five." Li Xue pretended to be nonchalant, but her eyes were intentionally or unintentionally fixed on her second brother, waiting for him to be generous.
Unexpectedly, Li Xuewu remained unmoved and turned to Zhou Yao, asking, "Have you received your acceptance letter yet?"
"Second Brother—" Li Xue, who usually acts like a little sister in front of her second brother, is now trying to act coquettishly.
Sitting to the side, Zhou Yao was a little envious; having a good older brother is really great.
"Hehehe—" She chuckled, glanced at Li Xue, and explained, "It's already here. School starts in September."
"Second Brother—" Li Xue had completely abandoned all pretense of pride and took the initiative to bump her second brother's shoulder, saying, "Anyway, it's ill-gotten gains, so why not give it to me to spend for you?"
"How come this money is ill-gotten gains to me, but you just spend it however you want?"
Li Xuewu said with amusement, "No, I don't have any. I won't give you one unless you give me a legitimate reason."
"Fine, don't give it to me then—" Li Xue shook her head and said, "I'll go to your house tonight and ask my second sister-in-law for it."
"It would be fine if she could give it to you," Li Xuewu said with amusement. "Does she even have any influence over the Honggang Group?"
"I just don't believe it—"
Li Xue challenged, "If you're so capable, then go home on time tonight and see if you'll give it to me then."
"My flight tonight is to Steel City."
Li Xuewu calmly replied, "Go wherever you want, I'm not going home anyway."
"Fine, I'm going to tell Mom you didn't come home last night." Li Xue was about to act like a rascal, and Li Xuewu could only smile wryly.
"What do you need these sixty-five for?"
He asked with a smile, "Buying food or toys?"
"Are we really that shallow?" Li Xue pursed her lips in dissatisfaction and said, "Can't we do something more productive?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu finished the last bite, waved to his sister, and said, "Then goodbye."
"Second Brother—"
Li Xuewu smiled, deliberately ignoring Li Xue, enjoying watching her act shamelessly.
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you."
Li Xue said helplessly, "Sister Zhang from the engineering department has fallen seriously ill, and everyone is trying to raise money."
"Sister Zhang and her husband are both honest people with a good reputation in the government, so everyone wants to lend a hand."
She said helplessly, "Although we know the chances of a cure are slim, everyone wants to do their part."
"Then my money isn't exactly meager."
Li Xuewu didn't recognize their so-called Sister Zhang, but he readily took out the money he had won the night before and gave it to Li Xue.
"That's all, don't ask me for more."
He reminded Li Xue, "When you get home, please tell your mom that we won't be having a get-together this time. We'll talk about it next time."
"Okay, I understand." Li Xue counted the money in her hand, seemingly having heard, yet also appearing to have agreed casually.
Li Xuewu watched his little sister, who seemed to be obsessed with money, finish eating, and then got up and left.
Ma Baosen was somewhat reluctant to part with her. Actually, Li Xue was quite good-looking; her face wasn't particularly delicate, but she was pleasing to the eye.
Moreover, he's the head of the finance department. If they were to actually date, wouldn't the secretary-general decide to fire him?
So he lost the opportunity to be the secretary-general. Compared to dating Li Xue, was that a loss or a gain?
Following the secretary-general back to his office on the 9th floor, I walked and thought about it the whole way, my mind filled with wonderful thoughts.
Seeing that he walked with a smile on his face, Li Xuewu didn't know what he was up to, so he ignored him.
Once upstairs, he rested briefly before being taken to the research institute by Ma Baosen.
Shangguan Qi was already waiting for him. When she saw his car arrive, she tried to jog over to open the car door, just like the other leaders.
However, her headlights were no smaller than the Volga that Li Xuewu was currently sitting in, making it very difficult for her to drive.
"Who taught you?"
After getting out of the car, Li Xuewu looked at her and said, "Focus more on management and stop talking about these useless things."
"I understand—" Shangguan Qi was also a little embarrassed, because she had very little time to open the car door and almost slammed it shut, bumping her boss's leg.
Li Xuewu wasn't really angry; people who do scientific research don't usually have time to think about interpersonal relationships.