In 1959, what's wrong with me pedaling a tricycle?

The next day, Wang Xingguo went to the material transportation department to check the material entry records from the previous night. After confirming that there were no problems, he had a short meeting with Kong Xiangqing.

Kong Xiangqing said with a headache, "Xingguo, regarding the holiday benefits, should we get some extra supplies?"

After thinking for a moment, Wang Xingguo shook his head and said, "There's no need. Our holiday benefits here are already good enough. Getting extra supplies would be a bit extravagant."

Kong Xiangqing thought for a moment, then said hesitantly, "Well, we've accumulated quite a bit of money in our secret stash. We can't just keep saving it without using it, can we?"

Wang Xingguo said speechlessly, "No, Lao Kong, what are you thinking? That money is for emergencies, you're not thinking of spending it, are you?"

Kong Xiangqing smiled awkwardly and explained, "We wouldn't need that much for an emergency. I was thinking of spending a little money for everyone; it's a way for us leaders to benefit the people. Don't you think that makes sense?"

After thinking for a moment, Wang Xingguo shook his head and said, "No, I agree with increasing benefits, but we can't spend it like this. Think about it, if we increase holiday benefits, what will the fuel transportation department do? Wouldn't that be a slap in their face?"

Kong Xiangqing had never thought about this question before, and was speechless for a moment.

Wang Xingguo continued, "How about this, we buy a batch of meat and fish, under the guise of boosting the morale of our comrades, to improve their meals. That would be more reasonable and less conspicuous."

Kong Xiangqing nodded in agreement, saying, "Good idea. I'll make the contact and get it done as soon as possible."

Sometimes money can't be spent just because you have it. If they make the welfare of the materials transportation department much better than that of other departments, it will definitely cause dissatisfaction among other departments.

After all, we all belong to the Logistics Department, so why should your Materials Transportation Department be treated differently?

Wang Xingguo somewhat understood Kong Xiangqing's idea; he simply wanted to do something, leave a good reputation, and ensure that people would remember his contributions even after he was transferred.

That's understandable; anyone in that position would have the same thought.

But there's nothing they can do. He didn't set the rules. If he changed them, all of them, the department heads, would be labeled as rule-breakers, which would make things difficult for them in the future.

Wang Xingguo went to talk to the comrades who went on the mission with Li Dapeng to understand their thoughts and to calm their emotions.

After all, escorting goods is quite tiring, and with the near-accident this time, everyone must be a little worried. Wang Xingguo needs to talk to them and ease their concerns.

It wasn't that complicated. He just chatted with everyone, talked about his experiences in the self-defense counterattack war, and recounted how he earned his second-class merit.

The young soldiers were eager to make a name for themselves, and using these methods to guide their emotions was very effective.

Having been busy with this all day, Wang Xingguo returned home in the afternoon and, not seeing his daughter, immediately asked Li Xiuping, who was cooking, "Wife, where's our daughter? Why can't I see her?"

Everyone chimed in with their own answers. It turned out that Li Enze had taken the four children to Grandpa Lin's place, and the old man said he missed the children.

Actually, the situation over there isn't very good. The old man is lying in a hospital bed receiving treatment, so he can't come here to visit his children.

Wang Xingguo asked, "Why are you picking up the child so late at night?"

Li Xiuping explained, "Uncle Li said that the old man wanted to eat a certain dish, so he arranged for a chef to cook it. The old man wanted to eat with the children, so Uncle Li rushed over to pick them up."

Actually, none of them went to visit the old man, mainly because the security there was too tight, making it very inconvenient for them to go.

However, it's different for children. Children can be brought in, so it's very convenient for them to go in, but adults need to make various reservations and applications, and go through layers of approval before they can enter.

But none of them had the time; they were either at work or school, and there was no way for them to wait for the application to be approved before taking leave to visit him.

The family started eating dinner. They were a little unaccustomed to having four fewer children today.

In the past, the children would chatter incessantly, asking what they wanted to eat, making the dinner table very lively.

Wang Xingguo sighed and said, "I'm not used to having these brats away from home."

Li Xiuping laughed and said, "That's right, I also feel like something is missing, but there's nothing we can do about it. After all, the old man misses them, so we should let them spend more time with him."

Wang Xingbang said with some doubt, "Do you really think the old man is alright? I have a feeling something's not right. Could it be that Uncle Li is lying to us?"

Wang Xingguo was stunned for a moment, then frowned. Something was definitely not right!

If it were about recuperating, it's impossible for the old man to be unable to go out for so long. Moreover, according to his son, the old man has been lying in bed the whole time. Although he chats with them, he doesn't go out with them.

Thinking about it this way, there might really be a problem!

Thinking of this, Wang Xingguo frowned and said, "I'll try to submit an application when I have some free time to visit the old man."

Wang Xingning asked, "Second brother, I'm afraid we can't go. If there's something they're hiding from us, they definitely won't let us in to visit Grandpa Lin."

Wang Xingguo was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "I'll ask Grandpa Li tomorrow. He probably knows something, but he might not tell me."

Shen Qingqing suggested, "Xingguo, your job is actually confidential, so it should be easier for you to get your visit approved. But if they don't let you go, it's probably because Grandpa Lin put in a good word and doesn't want us to visit, right?"

This is very likely. Li Xiuping did apply for a visitation permit, but she was only told to wait for the approval notice.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Xingguo frowned and said, "Tomorrow I'll go talk to Grandpa Li first and see if I can get any information out of him. If he doesn't say anything, I'll go over there and submit my application to see if it will be approved. Anyway, I haven't taken my leave yet, so I'll just wait until it's approved before taking my vacation."

Li Xiuping nodded and said, "That's the only way. The more I talk about it, the more worried I get. When the children come back tonight, let's ask them and see if we can find out anything."

Everyone was filled with questions as they finished their quiet dinner.

Actually, they recognized Grandpa Lin relatively late, so they couldn't say how deep their relationship was. But no matter what, Grandpa Lin adopted Auntie back then, which at least allowed her to live for so many more years.

After dinner, Wang Xingguo lit a cigarette and fell into deep thought.

He recalled what Li Enze had said, but he couldn't tell if it was true or false, because the guy's tone of voice had remained unchanged, and his eyes seemed to have remained the same as always.

These people are professionals in political vetting; they have strong mental fortitude and it's difficult to spot any flaws in their statements.