N-M Chapter 1653 The Qualification for Compassion
Chapter 1653 The Qualification for Compassion
Chapter 1653 The Qualification for Compassion
"I might need to move to a different spot."
Qi Yaowu's face was flushed from drinking, and he wanted to pour Li Xuewu another cup, but Wang Xiaoqin advised him against it again.
"Didn't we already have that news?"
When Li Xuewu heard him say that, he moved his wine glass forward and nodded to Wang Xiaoqin, indicating that he should pour it for her.
"Yes, we've had the news for a while now."
Qi Yaowu nodded with a sigh, raised his wine glass in a gesture, and downed the wine in one gulp.
Li Xuewu looked at Wang Xiaoqin with a puzzled expression, but she shook her head, as if there was something she couldn't say.
He didn't say anything more, picked up his glass and drank with her. The wine was mellow and sweet, and it was the group's five-star Moutai.
Perhaps only during the Chinese New Year, or when everyone is about to go their separate ways, will we have the opportunity to reunite.
Counting the time, it has been more than three years since Li Xuewu left the Third Regiment. Seeing him again, there was really too much reluctance.
Their status was not low, so for safety and convenience, they chose to hold the gathering at a club.
The only people in the backyard dining room were their old comrades-in-arms: Qi Yaowu, Zhao Zhenhua, Chu Nanfang, Wang Xiaoqin, Zhang Chenggong, Shen Fang, and Li Xuewu.
Qi Yaowu, Zhao Zhenhua, and Zhang Chenggong are from the 816th Regiment, Li Xuewu, Shen Fang, and Wang Xiaoqin are from the Public Security Brigade, and Chu Nanfang is a fallen phoenix who is worse off than a chicken.
The three parties have come together and are no longer distinguished from each other.
The Third Regiment is now strong and well-equipped with formidable fighting power. Everyone present today has made contributions and received their due rewards.
Zhao Zhenhua silently poured himself a glass of wine, gestured to Chu Nanfang, and drank it all in one gulp. He seemed bold, but in reality, he was depressed.
Zhang Chenggong and Shen Fang didn't drink much tonight, just a little, because they had to be on duty.
Li Xuewu could tell that their frustration meant they were dissatisfied with the upcoming adjustments.
Sometimes, when you think about it, being too sharp and outspoken isn't necessarily a good thing for a team leader.
Although he didn't understand what went wrong or what had happened, he could still sense something.
"My supervisor has already spoken with me."
Qi Yaowu, a burly man, had tears in his eyes as he looked at him and said, "Let me prepare to work in the logistics department."
"Adjustment or progress?" Li Xuewu slowly nodded and asked. Since he was already mentally prepared, he no longer showed any surprise, and he would not pretend to be surprised in front of his old comrade-in-arms.
"Of course it's progress—" Qi Yaowu pursed his lips and said with a wry smile, "I have to accept the leader's favor."
"Come on, let's have another one." Li Xuewu didn't ask any further questions, just nodded and poured him a glass of wine.
Qi Yaowu drank very quickly, choking and snot streaming down his face, prompting Wang Xiaoqin, who was sitting next to him, to hand him tissues while scolding him for being spineless.
"Political Commissar, I toast you." Li Xuewu smiled, poured himself another glass of wine, and looked at Zhao Zhenhua.
Zhao Zhenhua raised his glass, called Chu Nanfang over, and said with tears in his eyes, "A bosom friend afar brings a distant land near. No matter where we go, we will always be comrades."
Li Xuewu didn't say anything, but reached out his hand to clink glasses with them across the table, and then drank it all in one gulp.
"I'm leaving, but Old Shen is staying."
Zhang Chenggong picked up his teacup and offered it to Li Xuewu, explaining with a smile, "The leader is still looking out for me, sending me to the Seventh Regiment."
"Continue as chief of staff?" This was the first time Li Xuewu had asked his comrade about his transfer that evening.
"Deputy regimental commander, that's progress."
Zhang Chenggong smiled and explained, "Commander Wang of the Seventh Regiment is reaching the age limit, it'll be in the next year or two."
"Never forget our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind."
Li Xuewu nodded with satisfaction, raised his glass in return, and then downed the drink in one gulp.
The transfer of the chief of staff to deputy regimental commander cannot be considered simply using the conventional thinking of the three key personnel; it must be analyzed comprehensively.
From the most basic rank and order of positions, the regimental chief of staff and the deputy regimental commander are usually at the same level, both being deputy regimental commanders.
The job title and salary are the same, but it cannot be considered a lateral transfer.
If we look at the ranking, let's not even talk about the first and second positions. The deputy regimental commander in charge of military affairs is ranked third, and the chief of staff is probably ranked fifth or sixth. Otherwise, Zhang Chenggong would have considered it an advancement.
Of course, such adjustments will depend on the outcome, and there may be two scenarios depending on the organization's comprehensive consideration of the individual's circumstances.
First, it serves as a smooth transition out of the core sequence, also known as a "fade-out" signal.
Because cadres have professional age limits, their professional abilities are out of sync with the needs of the unit's transformation, or their comprehensive management capabilities are deemed insufficient to undertake higher command positions after assessment, the organization may make such an arrangement.
The main purpose of this transfer is to ensure a smooth handover of work for the cadres, gradually remove them from the core command sequence, and pave the way for their subsequent resettlement.
It no longer serves as a promotion assessment tool, but rather as a way to allow cadres to "land softly," balancing the professional dignity of cadres with the optimization of the military force.
Some senior battalion commanders may be temporarily appointed as deputy regimental commanders when they face retirement in order to improve their retirement benefits.
Another reason is to prepare for taking on more control of the entire group, just as Zhang Chenggong just expressed.
The transition from deputy commander to vice-commander is the most ideal and conventional path for talent development. Its core purpose is to enable the principal officer to complete the transformation from a "specialist" to a "generalist".
The chief of staff is in charge of operational planning and training coordination, focusing on "planning" and "strategy"; the deputy regimental commander is in charge of specific affairs such as administration, logistics, and training implementation, focusing on "management" and "coordination".
This transfer aims to allow cadres to supplement their comprehensive management experience and become familiar with the overall work.
For a chief of staff like Zhang Chenggong, who possesses outstanding abilities, an advantage in age, and is considered a key candidate for development by the organization, being transferred to the position of deputy regimental commander is often a necessary experience before taking over as regimental commander.
After a 1-2 year buffer period to complete the role transition, one can be smoothly promoted to the main person in charge of the regiment, achieving a key leap in their military career.
"You guys keep drinking, I have to go back."
After having a drink with Li Xuewu, Zhang Chenggong stood up, looked at the group, and nodded, saying, "I'll stand guard tonight."
"I'll keep you company." Shen Fang was about to get up, but he was pressed back down. "Have a few drinks with the leaders for me."
Zhang Chenggong patted him on the shoulder, strode out of the restaurant, and walked past the window, his figure looking somewhat disheveled.
This is the bond of camaraderie; he couldn't bear to let his own happy occasion spoil everyone's mood.
What kind of success is it if one person is successful? Even if he goes to the Seventh Regiment, he is just taking over someone else's territory.
Shen Fang silently took a bite of the hot dish, wiped his mouth, and raised his wine glass to Li Xuewu.
Li Xuewu silently drank a cup with him. The two had known each other for many years, so their tacit understanding was self-evident.
Snapped--
However, Wang Xiaoqin slapped Qi Yaowu on the back. The man from Shandong Province was covering his face with his hands, his shoulders trembling.
Zhao Zhenhua appeared much more upright and honest, his tears mingling with the liquor as he drank one cup after another.
-
“Actually, he doesn’t want to leave,” Shen Fang said after seeing off Qi Yaowu, Chu Nanfang, and Zhao Zhenhua. He took a drag of his cigarette and remained silent for a while before saying, “At least he doesn’t want to leave right now.”
"Don't laugh at him, he feels wronged." Wang Xiaoqin turned to look at Li Xuewu.
"Yeah, that sounds pretty surprising."
Li Xuewu nodded slowly, looked at her, and asked, "Do you know what's going on?"
“You haven’t been in the capital for the past two years, so you’ve missed out on many things and are unaware of the dangers involved.”
Wang Xiaoqin shrank back, her coat offering little protection against the winter wind.
Li Xuewu gestured to the brightly lit flower hall, inviting the two of them to stay a little longer and have a cup of tea together.
"Our group is developing so well."
Shen Fang exhaled a puff of smoke, saying with a mix of emotion and helplessness, "Looking back, it feels like a dream."
He looked at Li Xuewu and said, "Tell me, in the garrison area, who is as awesome as us? We were the first to use helicopters."
"In the garrison area's grand skills competition, the top three places in each event were all taken by soldiers from our regiment. We were incredibly proud of ourselves."
"It's lonely at the top, isn't it?" Li Xuewu patted his shoulder and helped him up the steps of the flower hall.
Shen Fang walked steadily, waving his hand to indicate that he was not drunk, but tripped over the threshold as he entered the room.
As its name suggests, the Flower Hall is an octagonal hall surrounded by glass windows, with radiators covered by green flower boxes beneath the windows.
The air inside is humid and the temperature is pleasant. Hundreds of flowers are in bloom, in shades of red, pink, yellow, and purple, which is quite delightful.
Everyone loves beauty, and even the two people who were feeling down felt a little more relaxed when they walked in.
Surrounded by flowers, tables and chairs are arranged intermittently, with tea tables and teacups on the tables, and three thermos flasks of hot water at the feet.
Li Xuewu pointed to the opposite side of the tea table, then went inside to brew tea for the two of them.
Southerners emphasize the art of Gongfu tea, while northerners prefer a more straightforward approach, often not washing the tea leaves and adding more and more, letting the hot water steep until the flavor dissipates.
The teapot was tilted, and the strong tea soup was poured into the teacups, each person getting a cup of fragrant tea to relieve the effects of the alcohol.
If we're talking about sobering up, strong tea is the best choice, but it's already late, and we're all government officials, so we have no choice but to go to work tomorrow.
Therefore, the tea that Li Xuewu brewed was neither too strong nor too weak, just like the appropriate amount of tea he was serving his comrades tonight—perfectly balanced.
"The meaning above is actually quite obvious."
Shen Fang had no taboos with him and couldn't keep anything to himself, so he said it out loud.
"The only ones left behind are Chu Nanfang, Xiaoqin, and me. It's obvious what they were thinking."
"Are you thinking with your heels?"
Wang Xiaoqin was holding a teacup when she couldn't stand his rudeness and gave him a disapproving glance.
Shen Fang, however, didn't care at all. He shrugged and said, "If I could figure it out with my own feet, I wouldn't have done it this way."
"That's thinking with your heels."
Wang Xiaoqin took a sip of hot tea, frowned slightly, put down the teacup, and said, "Be more mature, look from top to bottom."
Li Xuewu listened to their conversation, looked at her, then at him, and picked up the thermos to refill the teapot with hot water.
"Where did Political Commissar Zhao go?" he asked.
"Department of Political Affairs, Deputy Director." Shen Fang's tone became even more defiant. He picked up his teacup and took a big slurp, not caring that it was too hot.
"That's not bad." Li Xuewu nodded and said, "At least you weren't completely wiped out."
“Letting you go was our biggest loss.” Wang Xiaoqin looked up at him before saying, “Qi Yaowu is still talking about this to this day.”
"Everyone has their own destiny," Li Xuewu said, picking up his teacup. "There's no banquet that doesn't end."
He took a sip of hot tea and smiled faintly, saying, "If we really stayed together for a lifetime, we might end up getting tired of each other."
"Heh—" Wang Xiaoqin chuckled, "You always have something to say, and now you're even acting like an associate professor."
"Yes, I am a cultured person now."
Li Xuewu chuckled as he put down his teacup and picked up the teapot to refill their teacups.
Wang Xiaoqin and Shen Fang exchanged a glance, then couldn't help but laugh and tease, "From now on, we'll have to call you Professor Li?"
“Sure,” Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, “As long as you don’t mind the grime, I won’t mind the shabby either.”
"Hahahaha—" Shen Fang was so amused by the conversation between the two that he burst into laughter.
Zhou Yamei walked in carrying a food box, smiling and nodding to Wang Xiaoqin and Shen Fang as they turned around.
"Is this also your confidante?"
Shen Fang was always easygoing, and today, having had some drinks, he started making jokes for fun.
Li Xuewu smiled but didn't say anything, while Zhou Yamei generously served them fruit platters.
"The restaurant said they served a lot of meat dishes tonight, so the leaders can have some fruit to cleanse their palates."
She arranged the fruit, then picked up the teapot and refilled their teacups before politely leaving.
"You're so lucky!"
Shen Fang remained unmoved even after Wang Xiaoqin stepped on his foot under the table, and shook his head slightly with a sigh.
Li Xuewu glanced at him and asked, "Judging from this, your sister-in-law's upbringing isn't strict enough."
"Hahaha!" This time it was Wang Xiaoqin. She laughed loudly, patted the stunned Shen Fang on the shoulder, and bent over laughing.
"You're a cultured person, yet you still have such a sharp tongue."
It took Shen Fang a while to react. He awkwardly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and muttered a dissatisfied remark.
Li Xuewu glanced at him, then turned his gaze to Wang Xiaoqin and asked, "Do you want to take it a step further?"
“Yes,” Wang Xiaoqin wiped away the tears from her laughter, took a sip of hot tea, and explained, “After Qi Yaowu and the other man finished their conversation, the leader called me in for a talk.”
"Chu Nanfang is taking the lead, so it must be tough for you two to be his assistants, right?" Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, looked at the two of them, and asked, "Is there anything I can help you with? Don't be shy."
Shen Fang and Wang Xiaoqin exchanged a glance, their smiles vanished, and their brows furrowed slightly.
After a long pause, Shen Fang asked, "Do you think the higher-ups did this in order to..."
"Try not to say things like that in the future."
Wang Xiaoqin frowned and interrupted him, saying, "What you need to think about now is taking over Zhang Chenggong's position and not making any mistakes."
"Sigh—" Shen Fang sighed and said no more. He knew that his professional career was coming to an end.
Not having formal training or systematic qualifications, getting to this point is a matter of luck and good fortune.
He also lacked Li Xuewu's talent, which allowed him to transcend the Three Realms and the Five Elements, thus avoiding the suffering of reincarnation.
Just like Wang Xiaoqin said, doing the thing in front of you is the right thing to do; thinking too much is irresponsible to yourself.
And what about Wang Xiaoqin?
In fact, she has more potential than Shen Fang.
Shen Fang comes from a police station background, but she has long been trained in political and management positions and also has experience in corporate management.
To be honest, with Qi Yaowu and Zhao Zhenhua gone, this circle has to be centered around her.
Why did he say that being their deputy was not easy? Because Chu Nanfang was neither from the 816th Division nor the Public Security Brigade.
When Chu Nanfang came to the Third Regiment, they already knew his background and seniority, which were deeper than anyone else's.
Given the current environment, it's almost a certainty that he will take on the main responsibility.
Li Xuewu knew this when he arrived, unless Qi Yaowu and the others were xenophobic and ganged up to kick him out.
However, Qi Yaowu and his group did not have such malicious intentions, nor did they ever think of forming factions, and Chu Nanfang was an open and honest person.
After finishing a pot of tea, Wang Xiaoqin finally expressed her concerns, which were simply whether the structural changes would affect the position of the Third Guard Regiment within the Honggang Group's joint unit system.
Li Xuewu couldn't offer any guarantees, but since everyone seemed to be old acquaintances, there were ways to resolve the conflict.
He didn't say who would fill the void after Qi Yaowu and the others left, and it's still uncertain whether the Third Guard Regiment will still have that kind of fighting power by then.
But that's how cooperation works; no one can guarantee that brother units will always be brothers, right?
"What the hell is this 'brother unit' thing?"
Gu Litong chuckled and relayed the words of Wang Youhan, deputy director of the Beijing Automobile Management Committee, to Li Xuewu.
He vividly described the scene: "Are there any backstabbing colleagues in other units? Huh? You tell me—haha!"
"He didn't insult you too, did he?"
Li Xuewu glanced at him with amusement and said, "You're no better than me."
"What's wrong with me?" Gu Litong said innocently, "To be honest, we are brother units."
"Ha!" Li Xuewu sneered, "You two, one from Beijing Automobile Works and the other from Beijing Second Automobile Works, are of course brother units."
"What kind of tone is that?" Gu Litong asked with a mischievous grin. "Is it jealousy? Or envy?"
“I hate it—” Li Xuewu put down his teacup, looked him up and down and nodded, asking himself, “How did I end up making friends with a bastard like you?”
"Hahaha!" Dong Qiaomu, deputy director of Harbin Automobile Factory, laughed and slapped the table, saying, "Yes, that's a perfect description!"
"Go away, go away—who do you think you are!"
Gu Litong waved his hand and said, "You weren't even around when we first met, why are you getting involved!"
He grabbed Li Xuewu's arm and asked, "Tell me, how am I a bastard?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu looked at the group of people opposite him and said, "Do you all know what kind of person I hate the most in my life?"
Before anyone could answer, he raised an eyebrow and said, "A two-faced opportunist."
"Hahahaha—" This time everyone laughed, but it was Gu Litong's bitter face that laughed.
"Hey! I've been completely wronged—"
Gu Litong waved his hand to stop everyone's laughter and tried to explain, "I'm sacrificing myself to feed the tiger! This is to infiltrate the enemy and obtain intelligence!"
"You look like a villain to me!"
Liu Yang, deputy director of Jinling Motors, held a teacup, but shrugged and laughed as he said, "They look alike!"
"You're the one who looks like a bad guy!" Gu Litong laughed after saying that, then adjusted his middle-parted hair and turned to Li Xuewu with some insecurity, asking, "Is my hairstyle wrong?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled and nodded, "If we're talking about playing a traitor, you don't even need makeup."
"Hahaha—" Tang Rongxuan, the vice president of Sichuan Automobile, burst out laughing so hard that he spat out his tea. This table in the teahouse was the most cheerful.
Some guests were unhappy with the noise and were about to get up to demand an explanation, but were pulled back by their companions.
There's no other reason than that you don't need to listen carefully to what the other party is saying; just by looking at the group of young people standing or sitting around that table, you can tell that those people chatting and laughing are not to be trifled with.
Li Xuewu's return this time was also at the request of Gu Litong, to meet with the vice presidents of various factories who came to Beijing to discuss the automobile city project.
Before the formal meeting began, Gu Litong, as the host, first hosted a banquet for his brothers and colleagues who had traveled from afar.
After the luncheon, he led everyone out for tea, the purpose of which was to sit on the second floor of a teahouse facing the street and look at the main road.
What's on the main street facing the teahouse?
Besides the pedestrians on both sides of the street, there are also cars coming and going. This is the most bustling street in Beijing.
Although everyone was chatting and laughing, their eyes were subtly glancing out the window, where various cars passed by, representing the strengths and weaknesses of the domestic automotive industry today.
Li Xuewu sat confidently by the window, his back to it, letting them watch.
He knew without even looking how many cars were in Beijing, and how many of them were made by Red Star.
Unlike other car manufacturers that neglect the market, the group's sales headquarters conducts market research every quarter.
Relatively speaking, the number of cars on the road was not high in this era, making car management very convenient.
If Honggang Group wants to know the market share of the Hongxing brand, it only needs to verify it with the statistics department.
Gu Litong was somewhat envious; you could tell his feelings from the way he kept glancing out the window and then at Li Xuewu.
Do you know why Deputy Director Wang dislikes you?
He teased, "He said you are treacherous and cunning, lacking gentlemanly manners."
"Did he say that?" Li Xuewu glanced at him suspiciously and said, "It sounds to me like you're nitpicking."
"Stop making me laugh—"
Tang Rongxuan clutched his stomach and waved his hand, amused, "I almost laughed my lunch out."
"Northerners are so humorous, huh?"
Liu Yang smiled, picked up his teacup, and gestured to him, saying, "We wouldn't joke like that."
“But when it comes to bragging, we have the same habit.” Li Xuewu raised his chin, gesturing to Tang Rongxuan, and said, “You call it chatting, we call it talking nonsense.”
"Hahaha—" Tang Rongxuan laughed so hard he couldn't live anymore. Ever since the tea was served, his laughter hadn't stopped.
It's no wonder Li Xuewu and the others made their jokes funny; it's just that Lao Tang's threshold for laughter is too low. He started laughing himself as he was talking.
"Old Wang from Beijing Automotive said you're treacherous; it's because of your 212 R&D project last year."
Gu Litong explained with a smile, "Now you tell me yourselves, how many factories are producing the 212?"
He pointed to the heads of several car manufacturing plants present and asked them a few questions before saying to Li Xuewu, "You were the ones who lacked martial ethics first, so it's no wonder people are cursing you."
"We are working on scientific research projects."
Li Xuewu feigned seriousness and dissatisfaction, emphasizing, "The blueprints and production data were authorized for your study, reference, and research. Who authorized you to produce them?"
He was still unhappy and questioned the car factory managers who were all smiling like old men.
Dong Qiaomu of Harbin Automobile Group pointed at him and said, "We bought the blueprints and production formulas with our own money. What we do with them is none of your business!"
"Ha! There's nothing I can do about that."
Li Xuewu's imposing aura vanished instantly. He looked at Gu Litong, spread his hands, and said, "Who told us to run into such a scoundrel?"
"As you saw, I just emphasized that those blueprints and production data are for learning and research purposes and are not allowed to be used for other purposes. They are the ones who violated the rules, it has nothing to do with us."
He nodded at Gu Litong and said, "It's good that you're here, you opportunist. You can pass on a message to Deputy Director Wang of Beijing Automotive Group, saying that he cried at the wrong grave and that Honggang can't help with this matter."
"If he's really angry, he can publish a rant in the newspaper criticizing the leaders of those car factories that copy the 212, or he can file a lawsuit."
"Bullshit—" Yang Aidong of Changzheng Automobile laughed and cursed, "The blueprints and parameters were bought from you. If anyone's going to curse, it's you. If anyone's going to sue, it's you. What does it have to do with us?"
"Exactly!" Dong Qiaomu curled his lip and crossed his arms indignantly, "We paid for it, so we should be looking for the culprit."
He looked at the others, spread his hands, and asked, "To be honest, we're victims too, we were deceived, right?"
“Yes, yes, yes!” Yang Aidong and the others nodded in agreement.
Li Xuewu looked at them speechlessly, then turned to Gu Litong and gestured, "See? Look at the kind of people you've gathered! Just like you—"
"Hey! You're going to anger everyone!"
Dong Qiaomu smiled and pointed at him, saying, "You're the youngest here. Do you even care about organizational discipline anymore?"
“Look, when I try to reason with you, you talk about transactions; when I talk about transactions, you say you’ve been scammed.”
Li Xuewu clapped his hands, sat up straight, and said, "Now, am I wrong to say that you are all birds of a feather?"
"Don't argue, he's insulting me."
Gu Litong, being quite self-aware, chuckled and explained, "You haven't dealt with him much, so you don't know that he's best at beating around the bush and using indirect methods to criticize."
"Oh, we're relieved to hear that."
Yang Aidong picked up his teacup and said jokingly, "I thought he was really cursing us."
"Old Yang, with your personality, I wouldn't even be enough to scold you."
Gu Litong was both amused and annoyed. He turned to Li Xuewu and said, "Let's not take him with us when we go to Liaodong. He's not a good person."
"Your character isn't much better either!"
Yang Aidong curled his lip and gestured to Li Xuewu, saying, "Our Changzheng Automobile is a stable partner of Honggang Supply Chain, unlike two-faced people like you."
Hey! You're getting all worked up now!
Gu Litong laughed and scolded, then said seriously, "But don't just talk about me, we also have to look at the changes at Beijing Automotive."
He pointed to the tea table and said earnestly, "You've all heard, haven't you? The higher authorities have allocated 12 million yuan to Beijing Automotive for technology upgrades and resource restructuring."
"Technological upgrades go without saying, which definitely involve mechanization and assembly line operations. What I want to emphasize is resource restructuring."
"What kind of restructuring?" Liu Yang asked, holding a teacup to his lips. "Demolish and rebuild, rebuild and demolish again, just repeating the same old tricks?"
"Hey! This time it might be for real!" Gu Litong nodded to the others and said, "To be honest, you guys forced this into this situation."
"What's it to us? We didn't hold a knife to their throats." Dong Qiaomu nonchalantly took a sip of hot tea.
"Think about it, as I just mentioned, how many car manufacturing plants are there in the whole country?"
Gu Litong continued, "And how many factories are producing the 212?"
"The second generation of Antelope produced by Steel & Auto caught the 212 off guard the year before last, and was later startled by the Tundra."
He frowned and said, "Now they not only face the reality that bicycle factories can assemble the 212, but they also encounter the problem of steel cars replacing and upgrading their entire series of models, is that right?"
Gu Litong first asked Li Xuewu, and seeing that he did not deny it, he continued, "The arrival of the third generation of Antelope is like the arrival of the wolf for Beijing Automotive."
"The wolves were here a long time ago—"
Changzheng Automobile, located in Hebei Province, knows steel and automobiles best. He smirked and said, "Their reaction is really slow."
"The business has gotten too big, and we can't turn around anymore."
Gu Litong nodded and said, "If it were you, you might not even have their abilities."
"The key is that Steel and Gas have completely different playing styles. Li Xuewu is right here. If you don't believe me, just ask him."
He pointed at Li Xuewu and said, "Ask him whether the development of Antelope Motors is a sham."
"This is called strategy and tactics. If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense."
Li Xuewu glanced at him and emphasized seriously, "We are a legitimate company."
“I didn’t say that Honggang is unreliable, I’m saying that you are unreliable.” Gu Litong glanced at him, gestured to the traffic outside the window and continued, “In the past two years, Beijing Automotive has also been actively changing its thinking and has begun to reflect on its past practices.”
"So they were fully prepared before they went to their superiors with a complete and feasible plan to ask for funding."
He gently patted the tea table and said, "You should know that Beijing Automotive and Factory No. 17 have formed an internal parts supply chain alliance. Their parts industry is very complete."
"If things really turn around here, our automobile city project in the steel city could be hit by an earthquake."
"Are you scared?" Dong Qiaomu, with his straightforward personality, looked at him and said, "With so many factories like ours, how can we not beat him?"
"Besides, Honggang has a very complete parts processing system in the steel city, which involves CNC lathe operation."
He sat up straight, tapped the table seriously, and emphasized, "I dare say this: if the auto city project goes ahead, it will be a major earthquake for Beijing Automotive and Factory No. 17! What do you say!"
“That’s true—” Yang Aidong frowned and thought for a moment, then said, “The project hasn’t even started yet, we can’t lose our spirit.”
"This has nothing to do with ambition, it's just a fact."
Dong Qiaomu raised his chin and gestured to Li Xuewu, who was sitting with his back to the window, and said, "We can ask Honggang if he's afraid."
The corner on the second floor of the teahouse suddenly fell silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on Li Xuewu.
Li Xuewu put down his teacup and said calmly, "The Honggang Group's automotive industry did not get its foothold from its inception, nor did it get it by borrowing; it was built through its own hard work."
He swept his gaze across the crowd and retorted, "What are we afraid of? Shouldn't they be the ones who are afraid of us?"
"Exactly!" Dong Qiaomu slammed his hand on the table and said firmly, "Whether they can spend that 12 million wisely is still uncertain, but our auto city project is about to begin."
"I'm here today to lay something out for everyone." Li Xuewu adjusted his posture and looked at the group, saying, "Last month, I spoke with Deputy Director Lu, who is in charge of industry, in Fengcheng."
"Including Hu Ke, and Wang Lu, the deputy director in charge of industrial work in the steel city, I talked about our plan."
He said calmly, "I won't go into their reactions, but I'll just talk about the results of the initial communication."
"First, there's the land. Right next to the Honggang Industrial Zone, another plot of land will be designated, extending all the way to the foot of the mountain."
Li Xuewu used his finger to tap the tea on the table, casually sketching a rough map of the steel city.
After marking the Honggang Industrial Zone and the urban area, he then told everyone the location of the proposed automobile factory.
"Let's talk about transportation and conditions." He nodded on the tea table and explained, "Liaodong Industry allocated special funds, and Gangcheng is responsible for the site's infrastructure development."
Those who study architectural engineering should know that "four connections and one leveling" refers to the basic preparatory work before the start of a construction project, namely, connecting water, electricity, roads, communications, and leveling the site.
It's worth noting that in this day and age, there's absolutely no other place in the country that would go to such lengths to facilitate a company's move in.
The term "four connections and one leveling" was a new term proposed by Li Xuewu during his communication with the industrial sector in Liaodong.
Wang Lu is incredibly bold. Over the years, relying on the abundant resources of Honggang Group and Gangcheng, she dared to guarantee Lu Qiming the implementation of this project.
To put it simply, if the steel city really sets up this set of standards for the entry of the automobile city, it would be considered a new kind of spoiling of children nationwide, a case of spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones.
Just after Li Xuewu explained the "four connections and one leveling" policy, the factory directors and deputy directors of the car manufacturing plants present exchanged glances, their shock barely concealed.
"Don't get too excited yet," Li Xuewu tapped his fingers on the tea table, reminding him, "Steel City also has its own conditions."
“Of course there should be conditions.” Yang Aidong nodded and said, “We wouldn’t feel at ease if we were given this kind of environment for nothing.”
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled, glanced at him, and then said, "The car city needs to pay taxes when it is established."
"Pay taxes?" Liu Yang from Jinling Motors frowned slightly and asked, "Business tax, or the kind of accumulation tax that Bincheng used to implement?"
“The industrial and commercial tax and the accumulation tax have been abolished.” Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and explained, “In principle, the branch factories you built in the steel city should pay industrial and commercial tax to the local authorities. This is a matter of negotiation, not a requirement.”
“Negotiation…” Yang Aidong actually understood this statement better, and asked with a slight frown, “Then how is our business tax calculated in this province?”
That's why we said we should resolve this through negotiation.
Li Xuewu took a deep breath and said, "I believe that everyone has considered this before participating in this project."
"We are all well aware of the project's success rate, especially since we are working together."
He nodded slowly and said, "But what I want to say is that without the support of the local area, no project can last long."
"The relationship between businesses and local authorities should be mutually beneficial. We're not here to take advantage, right?"
“That’s true.” Dong Qiaomu nodded and said, “Since they can get the land and enjoy the benefits of the initial construction, it’s clear that they are sincere.”
What happens after paying the business tax?
Liu Yang frowned and asked, "Won't there be other troublesome issues such as employee resettlement and local coordination?"
"Everyone has this worry, you don't need to tell me."
Li Xuewu crossed his right leg, nodded, and explained, "Our group also faces similar problems in Liaodong."
He then pointed to the group and asked, "Don't you all have this problem in your province? You do, right?"
Seeing that the others nodded, he continued to explain, "Actually, in my opinion, it all depends on human effort."
"Let's stick together and support each other. The original meaning of the car city is that unity is victory, right?"
"Is it a collaborative investment, or a case of each going their own way?"
Tang Rongxuan asked, "If we want to build a branch factory, we need a plan."
"This cannot be described as each going their own way."
Li Xuewu smiled, looked at him and said, "It should be said that we rely on our own efforts and work hard."
After he finished speaking, everyone chuckled, understanding the meaning behind his words.
“Honggang can guarantee a fully open supply chain system, ensuring that factories located in the auto city enjoy all the benefits.”
Li Xuewu tapped his finger on the armrest of the chair and continued, "Honggang will also conditionally open its export channels, giving everyone an opportunity to showcase themselves on the international stage."
"Of course, there are conditions."
He emphasized earnestly, "Whether we can go out into the world, and whether we can successfully go out into the world, depends on whether the quality of our products can be recognized by others. That is the standard."
"Another thing, Honggang Group's sales headquarters has a plan this year to set up automobile cities in major cities across the country." Seeing their surprise, Li Xuewu explained with a smile, "Not our automobile cities, but sales and service outlets that will provide a variety of car models and after-sales services."
"Can our cars be parked here too?"
Liu Yang raised an eyebrow and asked, "Or is it that only products from the Auto City project can enter this market?"
"That depends on the sales headquarters' adjustments, but as far as I know, there will be discounts on fees."
Li Xuewu looked at him and explained, "Because the Steel City Auto City project itself has reduced production costs, and we use the Honggang Group Logistics Company's channels for transportation, transportation costs have been further reduced, and our sales space has been expanded."
“This is a better idea.” Tang Rongxuan straightened up, leaning on the armrest, and said, “If we can bring down the price of our products, our competitiveness will be greatly enhanced.”
"The most important thing is competitiveness."
Li Xuewu nodded at him and said, "Honggang's orders and targets for steel and automobile production this year are to expand production capacity."
He told everyone without any hesitation, "I also said this when I was meeting with the steel and automobile team: we only have a few years at most. The domestic market is only so big. Whoever occupies it will own it."
"What do we do after the original market space is occupied? We must compete for new market space."
Li Xuewu spoke with a wolf-like ferocity, staring intently at the group as he said, "In the future, we will eliminate a large number of our brother units, outrun the market, and widen the gap."
"When we look back, they may no longer be there, or they may be waiting for us to inherit their legacy."
He raised his chin slightly and said frankly, "Only then will we be qualified to show compassion."
"But now, we must be ruthless."