Scholars in the courtyard.

Chapter 3073 Joint Trial
In the office, Li Hongfeng, Zhao Gang, and the others added some information, making Yang Xiaotao realize that at this rate, even ten pages might not be enough.

The key issue is that all of these have to be handwritten. How long will it take to finish?
At this moment, Yang Xiaotao felt a pang of nostalgia for the printer.

I must get the printer working next year.

Just then, Lou Xiao'e's voice came from not far away, "Leader, we've received a notification from Old Chen."

"what's going on?"

"We'd like you to attend the conference with Secretary Li and Director Hong tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."

Upon hearing this, the group quickly went to the computer, where a document was displayed.

After reading it, Yang Xiaotao took a deep breath. "Alright, you guys should hurry up and organize what you were saying earlier. There's a high chance that all three of us will have to give a report when we go there this time."

After saying that, Li Hongfeng immediately ran towards the office, faster than even the young people.

Old Hong took a deep breath, then walked to Yang Xiaotao's desk and took the newly written report away. "I'll use it as a reference."

"I"

Yang Xiaotao was completely speechless.

These guys get all excited when they see others writing summaries, but when it comes to their own, they're completely lost.

"Hehe, let's see what you guys can write."

As it was nearing the end of the workday, Yang Xiaotao strolled out of the office and then deliberately went to Li Hongfeng's room for a look. Good heavens, there was a pile of reports on the desk, and he was currently working hard on a piece of data.

Seeing Yang Xiaotao come in, he hurriedly said, "You've come at the right time. Quickly help me find out how much money we made from selling the weapons to Bei'an. I don't remember exactly."

Then Yang Xiaotao turned and ran, and even helped close the door behind him.

Li Hongfeng was stunned, then snorted coldly and continued to rummage through the documents.

After Li Hongfeng's experience, Yang Xiaotao stopped going to Lao Hong's office and quickly disappeared down the corridor.

At the research institute, Yang Xiaotao, along with Elder Ye and the old Taoist priest, left with the child.

The children behind him were chattering away, especially Yueyue. Ever since she told Yang Xiaotao that she wanted to learn computers, she has made rapid progress with his constant extra help.

In particular, her learning of Wei language has surpassed the Dragon Boat Festival, and she is currently doing the homework assigned by Yang Xiaotao.

The PC version of Happy Match.

Under Yueyue's influence, Rongrong also started to get in touch with computers.

That's why Chen Gong installed a computer at home; it was to make it easier for his children to study.

This thing is just like buying a learning machine under the guise of studying in my past life.

It all depends on the individual's willpower.

The next day, outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Yang Xiaotao, Li Hongfeng, and Lao Hong got out of the car and stood at the entrance of the Great Hall of the People. The three men had different expressions, but they all tightened their briefcases.

These are all reports prepared for this conference.

Looking at the welcoming guards on both sides and the colorful flags erected around, Yang Xiaotao couldn't help but recall last year, when Old Chen had insisted that he come here.

The result was a target of 50 billion US dollars.

Now look what's happened! Not only did they call me here, but they also called Li Hongfeng and Lao Hong. How big of a target are they?

But it's okay to overthink it now, since it's a goal after all, and it's not a big deal if we don't achieve it.

Uh…

We'll have to see how things go this time.

Is it true that the law does not punish the masses?

Li Hongfeng stood to the side, but his mind was elsewhere.

Although I have represented the Ninth Department at some important meetings, this is the first time I have attended a meeting of this level.

He told himself that he must serve the people wholeheartedly.

You must do your job well, dedicate yourself to it to the utmost, and even die trying!
Compared to Li Hongfeng's outward excitement, Lao Hong's excitement was only expressed internally.

After all these years of ups and downs, I've cultivated a calm and composed mindset.

Even so, appearing here again, and in my current identity, gives me a strange feeling that things have changed.

Fortunately, I made it!
"Let's go, the meeting starts at nine, that's a bit early than usual!"

Yang Xiaotao composed himself and spoke to the two of them.

"Yes, it's almost nine o'clock. Judging from the situation outside, it seems like everyone has arrived."

"Let's go inside quickly!"

Li Hongfeng looked around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly urged them on.

The three of them climbed the steps and quickly arrived in the lobby.

"Hey, we really are the first ones here!"

Yang Xiaotao looked around and saw no one else besides the staff preparing for the meeting.

"Old Li, is it nine o'clock?"

Old Hong was a little surprised. Li Hongfeng thought for a moment and said, "That's right, I even checked the time on the notice. It's nine o'clock!"

"Nine o'clock? Why is nobody here?"

Yang Xiaotao looked left and right, then at the location. "That's right, this is the place!"

The three looked at each other, somewhat confused.

Just then, the door to the small conference room next door opened, and a figure walked out.

"Secretary Tang!"

Li Hongfeng's face lit up when he saw the person approaching; he had finally seen someone and quickly went forward.

Yang Xiaotao and the other person followed.

"Good morning, Secretary Tang!"

Yang Xiaotao smiled and greeted him.

However, when Tang Mingyue looked over, there was always an unspeakable meaning in her eyes.

This made Yang Xiaotao unconsciously look away.

"Three leaders, the commander is waiting for you inside. Please follow me!"

Tang Mingyue glanced at Yang Xiaotao and immediately spoke to the three of them.

Yang Xiaotao immediately understood that it was Elder Qing who wanted to see them.

The three exchanged a glance, adjusted their mindset, and then followed Tang Mingyue to a small conference room on the side.

As Yang Xiaotao entered through the door, he saw Old Qing sitting in a chair, with his uncle and Boss Peng beside him.

The three of them were chatting, with the aroma of tea wafting around them, and the uncle was smoking.

Upon seeing this, the three quickened their pace and approached.

"Commander, Leader, General Peng!"

Yang Xiaotao took the lead in asking questions, and Elder Qing was the first to stand up and come to his side, saying, "You arrived fairly punctually!"

Yang Xiaotao smiled and said, "We received a notice that the meeting would be at nine o'clock, so we weren't worried about being late and quickly set off."

As Yang Xiaotao said this, he looked around but did not see Old Chen, which made him somewhat puzzled.

Normally, it was Old Chen who chaired the meetings.

Seeing Yang Xiaotao's appearance, his uncle laughed and said, "Don't look at him. Old Chen is unwell and is resting at home right now."

"We'll be hosting today's meeting!"

Yang Xiaotao and the other two were all shocked to hear this, and asked, "Is Old Chen alright? Is he alright?"

Mr. Peng shook his head and said, "I have a chronic health problem. It was caused by a cold recently, which led to a bunch of illnesses. In addition, I was too tired from work, both mentally and physically, and I didn't get any rest. That's why it turned into a serious illness."

"However, things have stabilized, and she just needs some rest."

Seeing what Boss Peng said, the group calmed down, but they were still worried.

After all, he was their former leader, and the achievements of their Ninth Department today were largely due to Old Chen's support and the pressure he shouldered.

Old Qing walked to Old Hong's side and extended his somewhat withered hand. "Big guy, you've had a tough time all these years!"

Upon hearing this, Old Hong bit his lip hard, his hand trembling slightly, but he gripped the old man's hand tightly, then took a deep breath through his nose, "Commander, I'm not suffering!"

"You're the one who's worked the hardest!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Lao reached out and patted Lao Hong's hand, saying, "Everything is getting better; we must look forward!"

Old Hong nodded, "I know, I understand!"

The two shook their hands vigorously, and then Elder Qing said, "Sit down, sit down and let's talk!" "I had you come an hour early because I wanted to talk to you first."

With that, the three of them sat down.

But Yang Xiaotao was a little unsure about Qing Lao's intentions. Why was he having a short meeting in advance?

It feels like a joint trial.

Could something have happened?
After Yang Xiaotao sat down, he glanced at his uncle next to him and found that the uncle wasn't even looking at him, which made Yang Xiaotao even more uneasy.

Elder Qing looked around and then said directly, "I brought the three of you here because I wanted to hear your thoughts on the development of the Nine Departments this year."

"Whether it's the good aspects, the shortcomings, the demands on us, the complaints against us, or what we should do and what we should do next year."

After Qing Lao finished speaking, his eldest uncle chimed in, "Don't overthink it. We're talking behind closed doors, so we can speak our minds!"

"We just want to hear your opinions!"

President Peng sat upright, his square face radiating righteousness, especially when he looked at Yang Xiaotao.

"Xiao Tao, don't try those bureaucratic tricks on me. Young people should be energetic. You go first!"

"Just say it's not enough, it's unsatisfactory!"

Boss Peng directly named someone, and he seemed quite confident about it.

Yang Xiaotao opened his mouth, but how was he supposed to say it?
You can't say anything good, and you can't talk about future plans, but you have to talk about the shortcomings and express your dissatisfaction. How can you say that?

What if I tell them?

For a moment, Yang Xiaotao was stunned and at a loss for what to do.

Not to mention Yang Xiaotao, even Li Hongfeng and Lao Hong didn't understand what was going on.

Call them here early, that's what I'm saying?
"Xiao Tao, feel free to voice your complaints, don't be afraid."

Qing Lao also picked up his teacup and said with a smile.

This gave Yang Xiaotao the illusion that his own child had been wronged and that his elders were trying to vent his anger.

But did he feel wronged?

How come I didn't know that!
But right now, it doesn't seem right not to say something.

Since that's the case, let's talk about it.

"Um, sir, there's something I don't understand."

Yang Xiaotao felt a little unsteady on his feet after moving around, and his voice lacked confidence.

"It's okay, just say whatever comes to mind."

Yang Xiaotao's uncle also spoke up. He looked at the three of them, then at Li Hongfeng and Lao Hong, and gritted his teeth before saying, "Well, there are indeed some things that I don't like."

Peng's eyes lit up, and he immediately raised his hand, "Speak, speak freely!"

Looking at President Peng like this, Yang Xiaotao felt a sense of unreality.

"There are just too many documents to review every day. It would be better if there were fewer, so I could have more time..."

Before Yang Xiaotao could finish speaking, he saw President Peng frown, Old Qing put down his teacup, Uncle put down his cigarette, and Tang Mingyue, who was sitting next to him, squinted and curled up her lips.

Yang Xiaotao swallowed hard. "Come on, let's do some other work!"

Yang Xiaotao ultimately didn't dare to say the word "reading".

"That's not a problem. Who hasn't gone through this?"

"Moreover, the fact that each of these documents is delivered to you represents a trust and a decision."

"What you see as a simple report may actually concern the lives of millions of people..."

Elder Qing spoke softly, his tone heavy with emotion.

Yang Xiaotao immediately nodded, "Yes, yes. Commander, I now realize my mistake and I shouldn't have had such thoughts."

"In the future, I will definitely correct my mistakes in my work and take every job seriously."

Yang Xiaotao quickly spoke up, secretly relieved that he should have passed this hurdle.

After speaking for a while, seeing Yang Xiaotao's serious expression, Qing Lao stopped talking and looked at Li Hongfeng beside him, saying, "Comrade Li Hongfeng."

“You’re the secretary of the Ninth Department; in wartime, that would be the political commissar.”

"Tell me, what's it like working in the Ninth Division?"

Li Hongfeng immediately tried to stand up, but Elder Qing quickly waved his hand, "Sit down and talk, just sit down and talk!"

Li Hongfeng sat down, then took a deep breath and said, "Comrades, I haven't been in the Ninth Department for long, but the Ninth Department gives me a unique feeling."

What makes it unique?

"Unity of knowledge and action."

Li Hongfeng replied earnestly and affirmatively.

Everyone was stunned by the answer; even Yang Xiaotao hadn't expected Old Li to use that word.

"Sir, I used to work in local areas and traveled around with the railway. I saw a lot of things during that time."

"Much of this is just empty talk."

"For example, the phrase that comrades often shout is, 'Build the revolution!'"

"But how do we build it? Many of them think that doing their job well is building a revolution."

“Some people don’t even know how to build it, and some are even going against the grain.”

"It's not their fault; no one set an example for them, and no one supervised them in doing it."

The more Li Hongfeng spoke, the hotter his chest felt. Qing Lao and his uncle both nodded silently in agreement.

In the past, with the league as the big brother leading the way, they only needed to follow behind and learn from its example, without having to worry about going in the wrong direction.

But as it turns out, the alliance's path wasn't necessarily the right one.

Therefore, if you want to forge your own path, you have to feel your way across the river.

Li Hongfeng continued, "But in the Ninth Division, we clearly defined how to build the revolution, and our comrades had clear goals."

"The comrades at the machine tool factory are determined to produce CNC machine tools."

"The comrades at the engine factory are determined to make the best engines."

"And the colleagues at the research institute are not afraid of making mistakes, because making mistakes is also a form of progress."

"This is how I feel about the Nine Divisions. It's something you don't see anywhere else, and it's the unique character of the Nine Divisions."

"Commander, you said that in the past, when we fought, the Ninth Division was just one unit, and this unity of knowledge and action is the soul of the Ninth Division."

Papapa

Qing Lao led the applause, and Yang Xiaotao and the others also clapped vigorously.

Old Li, that guy, really did his 'homework' all night; what he said was spot on.

Li Hongfeng smiled and then suppressed his excitement.

Old Qing nodded, then looked at Old Hong, "Big guy, what about you? Tell me."

Old Hong had already prepared his answer in his mind: "Commander, during my time in the Ninth Department, I did discover some problems, but they were all necessary experiences in the process of development. Some of these things were not deliberately done by the comrades, but may have been problems that were deliberately ignored when things developed to a certain stage."

"For example?"

When the uncle asked, Old Hong continued, "For example, our welfare benefits are a matter of great concern to many people in China."

"To outsiders, the treatment of the Ninth Department is too high, even breaking the rules."

"But in our eyes, this is all earned through the hard work and sweat of our comrades."

"In order to ensure steel production, some of the comrades at the steel plant only get five days off a year."

When we went to visit them at the end of the year, we asked them, "Why aren't you taking a break?"

"They said the steel mill needed them to meet its production targets!"

"Commander, we genuinely like and care for these comrades."

"Therefore, we believe this benefit should be given!"

"but…"

Old Hong paused for a moment, then said firmly, "But we always face all kinds of doubts, all kinds of public opinion, and even slander."

"Therefore, we may face this problem again in the future, but we do not have a good solution yet."

"unless."

At this point, Lao Hong became serious again, "Unless, everyone is treated equally."

(End of this chapter)