Chapter 56: The Unreliable Household Appliances

  Xue Xiang and several others left the team office, entered the courtyard, raised their heads to look at the sky, but saw a bright moon in the air, like a plate. Xue Xiang snapped his fingers, ordered the security guard soldiers to gather, first to wait for him on the car, and then beckoned to Qiu Zhiguo to come closer and talk.

  Qiu Zhiguo didn't know how to end the situation, Jiang Dashao had definitely offended him, and the Xue consultant in front of him was neither hot nor cold. Seeing Xue summoning him, Qiu Zhiguo's fat body suddenly became extremely agile, and he sprang forward in two or three steps, standing at attention: "Please instruct, leader."

  "Old Qiu, stop calling me 'Chief' all the time. If it were in the past, I was a junior colonel and you were a senior colonel, it should be me who calls you 'Chief'." Xue patted Qiu Zhiguo's shoulder, this guy is actually the one with real power, so he needs to be won over.

  Qiu Zhiguo said seriously, "Now there is no distinction between junior and senior captains, only salary and treatment are divided into grades, emphasizing equality between officers and soldiers. However, you are a cadre sent by the Central Committee, how can you not be the leader?" The 17 or 18-year-old An Bang high-ranking official sitting in the Military Commission's Red Flag car said that he had no background, which was unbelievable. Qiu Zhiguo's intention to get close to him was obvious.

  Xue Xiang's smile grew more intimate, and he said in a warm tone: "Old Qiu, you're not bad, at critical moments, you have a clear head and a firm stance, making you a good material for leadership. Don't worry, I'll downplay your problem, and I'll also speak well of you in front of the old man." Xue Xiang's words were so over-the-top that even he felt nauseous listening to them. But in order to win over this fat battalion commander who held military power, he couldn't care about much else. The future was full of danger and uncertainty, and having more military strength meant having more security. It was crucial to know that the imperial city's defense forces were entirely under his control, and with him being a butterfly flapping its wings, stirring up storms, who knew if history would repeat itself. Therefore, he had to make all necessary preparations and accumulate as much power as possible to ensure everything went smoothly.

  "I've said too much nonsense, please look at my performance." Qiu Zhiguo was overjoyed, his rootless tree and floating duckweed-like body had finally found an organization. He was very clear that Liu Gao letting him be the team leader was not because he appreciated his ability, but because he valued his lack of background, making it easy to control him, and had never considered him a trusted aide. If nothing unexpected happened, he would remain at the team level for the rest of his life, and when Liu Gao got promoted, it would be the day he was transferred or put on idle duty.

  It was just that Lang had feelings and the concubine had intentions, and the two quickly rolled into a quilt. Xue Xiang was very satisfied with his agility and smiled: "Old Qiu, since this is the case, let's settle the matter within the team, reporting it will be very detrimental to your future. Let's do it this way: Si Yong will have his fingers cut off and be confined for a year; Wen Hong will be expelled from the army on charges of molesting women and handed over to the East City Public Security Bureau." Xue Xiang had never intended to make a big deal out of it, and the military court was just meant to intimidate people. He had previously made up his mind to coerce Qiu Huizi into doing things according to his own intentions, but now he didn't need to coerce him, and they had become one of us.

  Qiu Zhiguo was so moved that he burst into tears, nodding his head repeatedly. Who wouldn't want to follow a good leader who thinks of his subordinates at such moments? He really benefited from the disaster.

  Xue Xiang arranged for Si Yong and Wen Hong's fate, under Qiu Zhiguo's diligent escort, he got on the car and left in a puff of smoke. Of course, he wouldn't neglect these guards who went on the mission together, leading them to the square, letting out a good gust of wind, then going to the vice food store to buy several large boxes of snacks, having everyone bring them back to Songzhuangzhai, to enjoy with the remaining guards. He alone took a detour, going to the hospital to pick up Kang Tong and Lei Xiaotian to take them home, not mentioning it.

  …………

  The golden crow sets in the west, and the jade rabbit rises in the east. Half a month has passed again. In the large courtyard of Xue's family, there is a lively atmosphere. A charcoal fire with a length of about one meter is set up on a metal wire rack, and strings of meat slices, chicken legs, chicken wings, and vegetables are grilled on the metal wire rack. Xue Xiang wears an apron, directing Kang Tong, Zhu Shijun, Lei Xiaotian, and Chen Fosheng to turn over food, wipe seasonings. For a time, the whole yard is filled with fragrance, and the appetite is stirred up. This is a barbecue dinner held in response to Xiao Di's call.

  Xiao Wan led Xiao Yi, arranging the tables and chairs. On a square table, a circle of bowls, plates, and chopsticks had been neatly arranged. The little guy was busy, suddenly running over from afar, hugging Xue Xiang's leg and humming.

  "Little treasure, don't eat anymore, you've already had two ice cream cones today, eating more will give you a stomachache. Let go quickly, my apron is oily, and you just took a bath, your new clothes will get dirty." Xue put down the meat skewer in his hand, wiped his hands clean, and picked up the little guy's body.

  "They didn't say they still wanted to eat ice cream, and later on they would save their stomachs for chicken legs. This time it's about drinking soda." The little guy rolled her big eyes, knowing that ice cream was not an option, but having soda was okay too. She had forgotten that drinking soda made her even fuller.

  "Soda is not allowed either, if you drink too much and eat meat afterwards, you'll get a stomachache at night. Unless you're not going to eat meat later, just watch your third brother finish the chicken leg." Xue Xiang knew that the little one liked to compare and compete with Xiao Yi, so whenever he advised her, he would mention Xiao Yi's name, which always had an unexpected effect.

  As expected, the little guy tilted his head and thought for a while, then turned around and ran to Xiao Yi's side. After a while, the two little guys started arguing over the spoils.

  ………

  It all started ten days ago when the little rascal was clamoring for ice cream again. Xue Xiang had no choice but to ride out and buy one for each of the three kids. Just as Xue Xiang sat down to rest, the kid who finished eating the ice cream came back, saying he wanted more this time with a helper - Xiao Yi. Xiao Yi's face was slightly red, apparently it was his first time asking his big brother for food, and he looked a bit embarrassed, probably also coerced by the little rascal.

  Xue Xiang reluctantly agreed, as it was Xiao Yi's first time asking him for help, and he couldn't refuse no matter what. He had to make another trip. Who would have thought that the ice cream he just bought, as soon as the little one took it, dropped it on the ground with a plop. The little one immediately pouted, wanting to cry and throw a tantrum, but Xiao Wan quickly handed over her own ice cream, which finally calmed her down.

  At the sight of this, Xue patted his thigh and decided to make a big change in his life. Compared to ordinary families, his current life was already at a level of having meat every meal and being well-off. However, he always felt that something didn't quite fit. The basic necessities of life were all natural and pollution-free, which made him very satisfied, but the level of electrification was really too low. When the little guy wanted to eat ice cream, he had to run a long distance under the scorching sun.

  He set out to do it, and Xue went to the first stop at Lao Tianqiao's black market to exchange for an electric refrigerator ticket. After inquiring, there was none. It's no wonder there wasn't any, as electric refrigerators were extremely rare back then. Even the deputy food stores only used large ice cabinets. At that time, there were fewer than a handful of factories in the entire Republic producing electric refrigerators, with extremely low production and exorbitant prices. Of course, priority was given to supplying all levels of government, agencies, and the military, so it was impossible to buy one on the market.

  Xue Xiang reluctantly went home and told Lei Xiaotian about the matter, asking him to discreetly ask around where they could get a refrigerator and TV. Lei Xiaotian took note of it and went out to make some inquiries. Unexpectedly, the next day, the refrigerator and TV automatically appeared at their doorstep. It turned out that as soon as Xue Xiang's message about wanting home appliances was spread, Chen Fosheng found Zhang Pangzi from the University of Science and Technology. Chen Fosheng was dissatisfied with not having yet entered Xue Xiang's inner circle and decided to make a new contribution to show his sincerity; Zhang Pangzi was also looking for an opportunity to get in touch with San Ge (Xue Xiang) and improve their relationship, especially after the grand gathering at the last dinner party, which left a deep impression on him. The two of them quickly came to an agreement and carefully planned to move out the upright Snowflake brand refrigerator from the school's conference room, without caring how others would react afterwards, figuring that Old Master (Xue Xiang) would take care of everything.

  The refrigerator arrived home, Xue was overjoyed and handed a thick stack of cash to Chen Fosheng and Zhang Pangzi. The two men wouldn't accept it. Zhang Pangzi guarded the logistics department, one or two thousand yuan was not a small amount, but compared to his relationship with Xue, it was nothing; Chen Fosheng never had any interest in money, Xue giving him money was like scolding him, so he slammed the door and left in anger.

  This refrigerator is really rare, about 1.5 meters tall, with a light green body and a single large door. The storage space inside is divided into two layers. As soon as the refrigerator was delivered, three little guys hugged it and touched it non-stop. After plugging in the power, the little guy refused to let Brother Xue close the door and cool down, putting his hand in the refrigerator and not taking it out, as if he wanted to crawl inside himself. Brother Xue had no choice but to go out and buy a big box of soda, ice cream, and popsicles. Only then did the little guy take out his hand and help his brother store the cold drinks with a smile.

  At that time, the market price of ordinary refrigerators was around 600-700 RMB, and they were still rationed by ticket. This Snowflake brand refrigerator was actually the first domestically produced refrigerator in the People's Republic, born in 1956, and it has been exactly twenty years now. However, the annual output is still not high, and the factory is located in Beijing, so Tsinghua University was lucky to have bought a few units. You may think that since domestic refrigerators have a history of 20 years, they should have developed somewhat, and refrigerators shouldn't be so scarce. But don't forget, for nearly twenty years, science and technology, as well as light and heavy industries, have basically stagnated, where is the energy to expand production?

  The refrigerator arrived at the house in the morning, and the TV arrived in the afternoon. The person who delivered the TV was unexpectedly Yin Jinhua, a nouveau riche from southern Fujian. After that incident, Yin Jinhua had not recovered and was shunned by the gangsters in 49 City. However, after seeing Xue Xiang's powerful influence, he became eager to join the gangster circle like Chen Fusheng. From then on, whenever a small gangster gathering was held, he would attend with expensive gifts. But the effect was still not good, and he knew that the root of the problem lay with Xue Xiang. As soon as he heard that Xue Xiang was looking for a way to purchase home appliances, this guy rushed to his unit and found his secretary Liu Yong to ask for an electric refrigerator. He also knew that getting a refrigerator would be easier than getting a TV. The logistics department of the military certainly had refrigerators, but they were all accounted for and couldn't be easily obtained. Yin Jinhua didn't care about the difficulty; he had learned what it meant to be narrow-minded while in southern Fujian, and Beijing was the place where top-notch gangsters gathered. To become a top-notch gangster, one had to first become a top-notch hoodlum. Everything else had to give way to his gangster ambitions, and he ordered Secretary Liu to expedite the matter immediately.

  Serving a leader means serving everything for the leader, and naturally, the leader's son is within this scope. A refrigerator, Secretary Nu of the General Logistics Department of the Z Commission will get it with effort.

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