"Minister, what brings you here?" Wang Shouren asked, slightly reserved.
"Come, come, sit down." The high-ranking leader chuckled and gestured for Wang Shouren to sit down: "Wait a moment."
Then, he turned to Li Weiguo and said, "Little Li, where's that document?"
"Here." Li Weiguo precisely pulled out a document from a table piled high with files and handed it to the senior leader.
The high-ranking leader put on his glasses, glanced at them, and then placed them in front of Wang Shouren.
Wang Shouren only needed to glance at it to know what the big leader wanted to do.
"Xiao Wang, I've read your report." The senior leader crossed his arms and said in a slightly low voice, "Do you really think your method can increase production?"
Wang Shouren's report was about nothing other than a refined production line.
That's a very interesting question.
Can it increase production?
Wang Shouren shook his head somewhat nervously without hesitation: "Minister, I don't know either. After all, we haven't tried it before. I talked to the factory director about it back then, and he said we shouldn't do it for now."
"Oh? Did your factory manager say why?" the senior leader asked with great interest.
“I don’t know the specifics either, so I put this idea aside. I suppose he also thought it was a possible solution, so he reported it to you. If you really want to know, you can talk to the factory manager later and set up an experimental workshop, just like before.”
"This... I'm afraid there's not enough time." The senior leader hesitated for a moment, then said, "How about this, after the New Year, you go with Xu Jiaguo to the machinery factory. Go there and help them increase their output, and find a way to add this condition. What do you think?"
What do I think?
This is another extremely interesting question.
"Yes! Mission accomplished."
"Good!" The big leader laughed twice, stood up, and patted Wang Shouren on the shoulder: "Since that's the case, then it's settled. I won't keep you any longer. Go back and get some rest these days."
The high-ranking leader saw the guest off, so naturally he had to leave.
Wang Shouren quickly packed his things and left the ministry.
The senior leader noticed Li Weiguo's hesitant expression, smiled gently, and took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. The pack had no markings, only four large characters: "XX Special Supply": "Here, have one."
"Boss, this is inappropriate."
"Come when I tell you to."
Helpless, Li Weiguo took the cigarette, lit it for his superior, and then lit one for himself. As he exhaled the smoke, his mind relaxed for a moment, and the words that had been on the tip of his tongue resurfaced: "Boss, this Wang Shouren gives me a very strange feeling."
"Strange?" The big boss smiled and shook his head: "You, you."
Then, his expression turned serious: "To be honest, I'm a little disappointed that you said that."
"Boss, what do you mean by that?"
"You've been following me for quite a while now, haven't you?"
"Yes, I followed you back when we were in the south."
"I was busy back then. Later, you were transferred to that department, and I heard you did a good job. That's why I brought you back. We old buddies, the fewer of us we have, the less we have left." The big boss took a deep drag, exhaled a smoke ring, stared at the ceiling, and changed the subject: "Do you know what your biggest problem is?"
"I don't know..." Li Weiguo said honestly.
"You've gone mad from catching spies." The high-ranking leader pointed at him twice, seemingly casually: "Tell me, is there anything wrong with his background?"
"No, not at all." Li Weiguo shook his head. Those who can get in here are unlikely to have any major issues with their social class.
"Then let me ask you again, would he do anything harmful to our motherland?"
"Probably not." Li Weiguo didn't even hesitate. What kind of spy would help with construction every day, whether there was anything to do or not?
"Then what is your identity?"
"Your secretary?" Li Weiguo asked cautiously.
"And what about him?"
"His superior?"
"Isn't that it? He hasn't harmed the country, and he's capable. You're always trying to figure out what he's thinking and doing? You should be figuring out what I'm thinking, not what he's thinking. Do you understand what I'm saying? He's not at the point where you can figure him out!"
Li Weiguo felt a sudden, sharp shock, as if a string had been snapped into his head.
Yes, I'm wondering what Wang Shouren was doing.
They were the decision-makers, and Wang Shouren was the implementer. They made the decisions, and Wang Shouren carried them out. As for what Wang Shouren was thinking, that was none of his business. As long as he could do his job well and not touch what he shouldn't touch, that was enough.
"We're in a period of rebuilding, and we don't know how to handle things at the top. To be honest, I don't know what the future holds. But Weiguo, you're the successor I've always wanted to groom. You're not particularly smart or quick-witted. But there's one thing I really like about you." The leader paused here, then continued, "You can hold the line; you know what you should and shouldn't do."
“In the past, there were many comrades like this. Now that life is better, some comrades…” At this point, the leader frowned slightly, lit another cigarette, and took a deep drag: “Forget it, let’s not talk about these things. But Weiguo, you must remember, those who do not plan for the whole are not qualified to plan for a part; those who do not plan for eternity are not qualified to plan for the present.”
"You need to broaden your horizons, in case something happens to me one day. You must remember these five words. All strategies, all developments, everything must revolve around these five words. Answer me, can you do it?" The senior leader pointed to the plaque hanging behind him and asked Li Weiguo seriously.
Li Weiguo was startled, but his body reacted instead of his mind.
Stand at attention, salute: "Report! Okay!"
"That's good, you can go now." The senior leader waved his hand, sat back in his seat, and sounded slightly tired.
“Big leader…” Li Weiguo said with some concern.
"go out!"
"yes!"
Before leaving, Li Weiguo looked at the tired leader one last time. Only then did he realize that things had come to this point.
Only one person remained in the office.
The top leader remained silent, his eyes gazing intently ahead, seemingly deep in thought.
After a long while, he murmured, "Li Weiguo, you need to grow up quickly. This old man really doesn't know how much longer I can hold on."
After he finished speaking, he lit another cigarette, and smoke rose slowly from the leader's mouth.
Ascending to the ceiling, in the smoke-filled room, one could vaguely make out the five large characters on the plaque—
"Serve the people!"
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