Scholars in the courtyard.

Chapter 3086 The higher you climb, the colder it gets; beware of backstabbers.
"Mr. Yang, from now on, I'll work for you!"

Outside the meeting room, Mr. Zhao held Yang Xiaotao's hand and thanked him repeatedly.

As for speaking haltingly, it's not because I'm drunk, but because I'm genuinely grateful!
The Fourth Ministry of Machine Building has finally seen a glimmer of hope.

"Old Zhao, you should go back and rest. You still need to take the lead on things on the Japanese islands."

"We'll need your help with manpower."

Yang Xiaotao was clear-headed and made a point of giving instructions before leaving.

"Yes, yes, I know, I know it in my heart."

"Don't worry, Mr. Yang. With Lao Zhao here, no, with us, we'll complete the mission together."

Old Zhao was secretly delighted; he was truly secure on these nine large ships.

More importantly, Yang Xiaotao is now not only the helmsman of the Ninth Department, but also the helmsman of the new ship of high-tech industry.

He didn't know how far things would go in the future, but for now, the Fourth Ministry of Machine Building had caught up with them on this ship.

After seeing off Elder Zhao, Yang Xiaotao also saw off Elder Huang and the others, leaving only the members of the Ninth Division.

"Mr. Yang, I've always called you Mr. Yang, it just sounds more friendly."

"Now I've switched back, and I think 'General Manager Yang' sounds better."

Bai Jingshu spoke with a smile, and the people from the nine departments around him all laughed along.

Wang Guodong chuckled to Chen Gong from behind, "What did you call President Yang last time?"

"Chief Designer".

Chen Gong said the name, and Wang Guodong immediately smiled and said, "That's right."

"Last time he was the chief designer, this time he's the head of the department, so calling him General Manager Yang is perfectly appropriate."

However, as he said this, Wang Guodong knew in his heart that there was a huge difference between the two "general" titles.

The chief designer was Yang Xiaotao's position at the machinery factory.

The person in charge, however, had a comprehensive overview of the entire situation from the perspective of the nine departments.

The group had discussed this matter on their way here, and even discussed the issue of job titles. The final result was the same as what they had expected.

He is one level shorter than Old Chen.

This is truly remarkable.

"By the way, Old Chen."

"Why not recruit Li Rong from the foreign trade department into the research lab?"

"Wouldn't it be better if we had a colleague in the research lab who specializes in foreign trade?"

Wang Guodong asked the question, and Chen Gong agreed that it made sense.

Then the two looked at Li Hongfeng, who was standing to the side.

When Li Hongfeng heard about this, he looked at the two of them with a speechless expression.

Do you know which department oversees our research lab?

Chen Gong nodded, "I know, didn't I say? We're a subordinate department of that Economic Office."

Li Hongfeng nodded, "You know that Old Chen is one of them, right?"

"know."

The two nodded again.

Then Li Hongfeng said, "This Ms. Li Rong is also one of them."

Instantly, neither of them wanted to speak.

It turns out that this person is actually the superior of one's own superior.

However, considering the importance of foreign trade, the two felt that this position was quite suitable.

The people around them heard their conversation, but most of them were filled with emotion.

Now, they also have the opportunity to participate in discussions at a higher level.

Yang Xiaotao chatted with the group for a while before saying, "You guys go wait here, I'll go settle the bill."

Upon hearing this, Li Hongfeng said, "President Yang, how about we use the Ninth Department's official accounts?"

"This meal cost quite a bit of money."

Yang Xiaotao shook his head and said, "No need, this is my personal matter, it's not appropriate to use public funds."

"Besides, I can still come up with the money."

He raised an eyebrow and walked towards the front desk.

Bai Jingshu laughed from behind, "It seems our CEO Yang has quite a bit of private money hidden away."

Yang Xiaotao's legs went weak as he was walking, and laughter immediately came from behind him.

Yang Xiaotao turned around and glared at the group of people before rushing to the front desk.

Upon arriving at the front desk, they saw Tang Mingyue and Tong Xiaolong still chatting with the staff.

As soon as Yang Xiaotao arrived, Tong Xiaolong walked up to him.

"Brother Xiaolong".

Yang Xiaotao stepped forward and hugged them, saying, "There were too many people, I didn't have time to take care of you all."

Tong Xiaolong shook his head and smiled, "Don't worry, we won't need anyone to take care of us here, we'll definitely have plenty to eat and drink."

Yang Xiaotao nodded, "That's true. The person who ordered this dish is clearly skilled and capable."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Tang Mingyue.

He saw the other person when he was pouring the wine and immediately understood what was going on.

Tang Mingyue blinked after hearing this, then smiled and said, "You don't come here often, so this is the per capita standard for food."

"Of course, every dish here is delicious, so there's no need to thank me."

Yang Xiaotao shrugged. "Yeah, we're lucky to have such big bellies."

"It's just a pity about my wallet; it'll probably be completely empty by now."

After saying this, Tong Xiaolong laughed and put his arm around Yang Xiaotao's shoulder, "The commander knows about this, so he paid for it out of the budget."

"Funding?"

Yang Xiaotao immediately put his wallet in his pocket and then asked excitedly, "Oh right, how could I forget about that?"

"How much funding do we have for our research lab?"

Tong Xiaolong shrugged and then said solemnly, "How would I know about your lab's funding?"

Yang Xiaotao immediately looked at Tang Mingyue.

Tang Mingyue shook her head, "You have to ask Old Chen; he's the one who decides."

Yang Xiaotao shook his head in disappointment, "Forget it then. If I go to see Old Chen, I'll most likely get nothing and even lose some money."

"You do have some self-awareness."

Yang Xiaotao shrugged and said, "There's nothing I can do. You get used to it after experiencing it so many times."

Tang Mingyue didn't respond, but simply said, "We've completed our mission, and we need to go back and report to our commander."

Tong Xiaolong smiled at Yang Xiaotao and said, "Let's talk again during the Chinese New Year."

"Okay, let's talk again during the New Year." After the two finished speaking, they prepared to leave, and Yang Xiaotao followed behind to see them off out of courtesy.

As they were leaving, just before getting into the car, Tang Mingyue turned around and reminded her, "You should go see Old Chen and listen to the leader's opinions."

Yang Xiaotao nodded silently after listening.

Even if the other party didn't say anything, Yang Xiaotao still wanted to pay a visit and see his old leader.

When I returned to the courtyard house, Ran Qiuye was cooking at home.

Just looking at him made me feel uneasy.

When I came back today, I saw Ran Hongbing coming back to report that his brother-in-law had been promoted again.

Although she didn't know what her husband was going to do, Ran Qiuye was happy.

But this joy was mixed with some trepidation.

Now that she's finally in a position of power, she knows that things are far more complex than they appear.

I understand the saying, "The higher you climb, the colder it gets."

The higher Yang Xiaotao stands now, the greater the responsibility on his shoulders.

The greater the pressure, the higher the pressure.

If things aren't done well and an accident occurs, the fall will be even more severe.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't worried.

In this inexplicable state of anxiety and uncertainty, Yang Xiaotao appeared before him.

"What are you thinking about?"

Yang Xiaotao put down his briefcase and came over to help with the cooking, casually asking, "What's wrong?"

Ran Qiuye snapped out of her reverie, a smile spreading across her face. She shook her head and chuckled, "Nothing, just thinking about it casually."

"By the way, Hongbing just ran over and said you got promoted?"

Ran Qiuye asked in a low voice, and Yang Xiaotao shrugged, "Yeah, there's nothing we can do. Your man is too outstanding. It would be an injustice if he didn't get promoted."

"Go to hell."

"I'll talk to you tonight, let's cook first."

As Yang Xiaotao spoke, he walked to the side and picked up a kitchen knife. Ran Qiuye nodded in agreement. Seeing Yang Xiaotao's confident demeanor, she suddenly felt at ease.

Just like how I've felt over the years.

At dinner, Grandpa Ye and the old Taoist priest were laughing and joking at the table. Grandpa Ye was also one of the organizers; he had gone to a gathering today and returned immediately.

However, he didn't say much to Ran Qiuye; it was better for Yang Xiaotao to tell her about such things himself.

Unexpectedly, even though he didn't say it, Ran's father happily went back and told him.

Miaomiao and the other children noticed that the dinner tonight was quite lavish, and that the adults in the family were always laughing.

The children didn't understand, but they knew that if the adults in their family were happy, they would have a good life.

After dinner, Yang Xiaotao didn't go to the study, but instead played cards with the old Taoist priest and Old Master Ye.

The group was playing an upgrade game.

Yang Xiaotao was in one group with the old Taoist priest, while the old man and Old Ye were in another.

The four of them chatted while playing.

Yang Xiaotao didn't hide anything and directly explained what happened in the meeting room.

Old Master Ye tossed out a five of hearts, saying, "You can make the decisions about these things."

"To put it bluntly, this research lab is basically about getting other departments to help us develop."

The old Taoist priest saw that it was a five-point card and immediately threw out a ten of hearts, saying, "Yes, the superiors' intention is very clear. They want to see if we can get the other departments involved."

"If it can drive development, it will be a huge boost to the speed of our revolutionary construction."

The old man saw fifteen points on the table, thought for a moment, took out a King of Hearts and threw it on the table, then looked at Yang Xiaotao and said, “I can’t talk about work matters, but as a person, you have to be honest and put yourself in others’ shoes to win people’s hearts.”

Yang Xiaotao nodded, then drew the highest card, the Ace of Hearts, instantly earning twenty-five points. The old Taoist priest was so happy that his mouth was crooked from smiling.

Grandpa and Old Ye glanced at each other, then shook their heads. Playing cards with Yang Xiaotao was simply torture.

This guy can remember all the cards, who played what, and what's left. He can calculate it perfectly. How can you play against him?
The group played for a while longer, and as it got dark, they went back to their rooms to sleep.

Back home, Ran Qiuye had already put the children to bed.

Upon seeing this, Yang Xiaotao immediately picked her up by the waist, and then, amidst a gasp, burrowed into the quilt.

A moment later, Yang Xiaotao leaned against the headboard, while Ran Qiuye hid under the covers.

"This meeting mainly covered three things."

"The first thing they asked us to do was to give a year-end summary, but Qing Lao and the others didn't listen. We'll talk to Chen Lao about it later."

"The second thing is to ask us to report our goals for next year. Everyone is aiming high. Our Ninth Department's planned goal is 30 million US dollars!"

"The third matter concerns the High-Tech Industry Research Lab."

After Yang Xiaotao finished recounting the whole story in fits and starts, Ran Qiuye nestled against Yang Xiaotao's chest, breathing warm air, her face flushed, and voiced her concerns.

"I'm a little worried now."

"worry about what?"

Yang Xiaotao hugged the other person tightly and comforted her, "Are you worried that I'll abandon you after I become a high-ranking official?"

"No, you can't do that. You still need to have several children."

Upon hearing this, Ran Qiuye pouted and reached out with all her might.

"Ouch, it hurts, it hurts, honey."

Yang Xiaotao felt the pressure on his weakness and instantly made the wisest decision.

He was just puzzled, thinking back to when they got married, how innocent his wife was.

现在
You've grown up.

Ran Qiuye snorted coldly, "Let you talk nonsense. You don't want me anymore? If you dare not want me, my six children and I will leave on our own and leave you all alone."

Yang Xiaotao quickly laughed and said, "Just kidding, just kidding."

"But what you said does make some sense. It's lonely at the top, and some things need to be prepared in advance."

Ran Qiuye nodded, "That's right. We shouldn't cause trouble, but we can't let our guard down against backstabbers."

Yang Xiaotao reached out and played with Ran Qiuye's hair. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Having said that, Ran Qiuye said no more.

Now she is in a similar situation to Yang Xiaotao, facing many problems at work, which are completely different from what she used to do in the countryside.

Thanks to Yang Xiaotao's help, as well as the assistance of Cuiping, Feng Nan, and her uncle's sisters, the work was finally sorted out.

Even so, much of the work still cannot be carried out.

This made Ran Qiuye realize that wanting to do things is not the same thing at all.

Resting her head on her lover's chest, feeling his heartbeat, the exhausted Ran Qiuye gradually drifted off to sleep.

Yang Xiaotao, however, had clear eyes and, thinking about the future changes, gradually became resolute.

He doesn't cause trouble himself, but if someone does, he doesn't mind taking care of them.

Because he simply didn't have time to resolve the issue!