Chapter 117: He Can't Get Out!

Hearing Wang Yuzhen call Chu Zhongxin, Ning Weidong felt a warmth in his heart. He gave a hum and said, "Fourth Brother, I know the pressure on your end is immense. Give me the bottom line: how many days can you hold out?"

On the phone, Chu Zhongxin made a "tsk" sound and fell into a silence.

The reason he made this call today was actually to persuade Ning Weidong not to be so stubborn.

But after answering the phone, Ning Weidong's directness caught him off guard.

It was obvious that Ning Weidong hadn't counted on him being able to hold out at all, which made it difficult for Chu Zhongxin to respond.

Ning Weidong did not urge him.

After about seven or eight seconds, Chu Zhongxin said, "Two days, two days at most!"

Ning Weidong said, "Fine, help me drag it out until after work the day after tomorrow."

Chu Zhongxin didn't know what Ning Weidong wanted to do, but he didn't ask further.

At a time like this, and over the phone, it was impossible for Ning Weidong to reveal his plan; that would be no different from telling Wang Guoqiang directly.

Hanging up the phone, Ning Weidong took a deep breath.

Chu Zhongxin hadn't mentioned which side the pressure was coming from, but it must have been significant.

Otherwise, Chu Zhongxin wouldn't have made this call first thing in the morning.

At the same time, Ning Weidong also realized that the two days Chu Zhongxin promised might not even be sustainable to the end.

He had to speed things up.

Thinking of this, Ning Weidong picked up the phone again: "Hello, Brother Zhang, it's Weidong... I'll come find you at noon... Okay, no problem... Goodbye."

Having made arrangements with Zhang Dajun, Ning Weidong put the phone down again and took a cigarette out of his pocket.

With a "ding," the lighter flashed a spark, a faint smell of kerosene wafted from the cotton wick, and a flame instantly sprang up.

Ning Weidong didn't light the cigarette, though; with a "click," he snapped it shut, then pushed it open again...

He repeated the action over and over, his eyes looking out the window, somewhat unfocused.

Just then, a "knock-knock-knock" sound came from the door, and Ning Wei called out, "Section Chief."

Using job titles at work was a rule Ning Wei had learned long ago.

Ning Weidong snapped back to reality and called out, "Come in."

Ning Wei pushed the door open and entered, with Zhou Wu following behind.

One could clearly sense Zhou Wu's restraint; it was his first time in his life entering such a large Office Building.

Don't look at how he usually bragged and boasted outside; once he actually got here, he felt completely uncomfortable the moment he stepped into the Office Building.

In the Office Building, the floors were all terrazzo, just cleaned by the janitor that morning.

The people walking back and forth were all dressed decently; some glanced at him, others ignored him entirely, all of which made Zhou Wu feel like he didn't belong here.

Once he entered Ning Weidong's Office, this feeling became even more pronounced.

When Ning Weidong went to find him yesterday, he hadn't felt it.

But now, in Ning Weidong's Office, he didn't know where to put his hands or feet.

Zhou Wu had been to the Street Office and the Neighborhood Committee; those places were full of people in one office, and only the leaders got to occupy an office by themselves.

And he never had any contact with people like that.

Today was his first time walking into an office like this where one person had a room to themselves, and this office actually belonged to Ning Weidong.

"You're here~" Ning Weidong said, composed and relaxed, smiling as he pointed to the sofa: "Sit down~ Xiao Wei, pour two glasses of water."

Ning Wei responded with an "okay."

Ning Weidong got up from behind his desk and walked over, asking, "Are all the procedures finished?"

Zhou Wu placed his hands on his knees, shifted his bottom on the sofa, and replied, "They're finished."

Ning Weidong gave a hum: "Since they're finished, you're a person of the Manager from now on. Work hard. If you have any difficulties, find Xiao Wei; if he can't solve them, come find me. You were brought in by me, so from now on, you're my person."

Zhou Wu quickly said, "Please, Brother Ning... please rest assured, Leader, I definitely won't lose face for you."

At this moment, Ning Wei brought over a white porcelain teacup and poured three cups of hot water.

Ning Weidong told him to sit, picked up the steaming water cup, took a sip, and asked, "How did things go?"

Now that the procedures were done, Zhou Wu was a person of the Manager.

If yesterday Ning Weidong had to consider his wording slightly when speaking to Zhou Wu, now there was no need at all.

Just as he said, once he entered the Manager, Zhou Wu was his person; how he was tempered or ordered around was entirely up to Ning Weidong's will.

But Zhou Wu wasn't losing out either; he had transformed from a street loafer into a proper worker, a good thing many people spent their whole lives wishing for but could never get.

Zhou Wu glanced at Ning Wei.

Although he had practiced martial arts since he was a child, he was no fool.

Ning Weidong had said long ago to let Ning Wei lead him; Ning Wei was his direct superior.

"Why are you looking at me?" Ning Wei was speechless inside.

Zhou Wu gave a foolish laugh, raised his hand to scratch his head, and said, "Leader, last night Brother Xiao Wei and I ran around until the second half of the night; it's all settled. We'll take action tonight..."

Ning Weidong pursed his lips and nodded.

In truth, he couldn't wait to take action immediately, but some things couldn't be rushed; what had to be waited for, must be waited for...

After discussing some more specific details, Ning Wei and Zhou Wu left.

Ning Weidong let out a long breath, leaned back against the sofa, and squinted his eyes, pondering whether there were any loopholes in the entire plan.

Until it was almost noon, Ning Weidong raised his hand to check his watch, then got up and left the Office.

He happened to run into Chen in the hallway.

Chen was coming out with a lunchbox and hurriedly greeted him: "Section Chief, heading to the canteen~"

Ning Weidong nodded, not explaining that he was going out to handle business.

Chen leaned in, quickly looked left and right, and whispered, "Section Chief, you should watch out for Fan Datou and those few people..."

Ning Weidong raised an eyebrow.

He knew about this Fan Datou; he was an old hand at the Security Division, a Squad Leader at the South Gate, and formerly one of Wang Kaifeng's subordinates, considered quite capable.

Similar to Li Peihang and Xu Jinshan, but with a closer and more reliable relationship.

Chen's personality was not one to speak without foundation; since he had taken the initiative to issue a warning, he must have grasped some information.

Ning Weidong looked deeply at Chen and said, "Thanks."

Chen smiled, his purpose achieved, so he didn't say anything more, nodded, and left first.

Ning Weidong narrowed his eyes slightly, unable to guess what kind of trouble this Fan Datou was trying to stir up.

But no matter what, it wouldn't affect him pinning Wang Kaifeng down inside for good; this time, no one could save him! However, not taking him seriously didn't mean not reacting. Ning Weidong turned and returned to the Office, picked up the phone, and called Ning Wei: "Hello, Xiao Wei, there's a situation now... Right, keep an eye on this person... No need to hold back, you handle it; if he refuses a toast only to drink a forfeit, giving him a little lesson is fine."

After giving the instructions, Ning Weidong came out of the Office again.

Regarding this Fan Datou, Ning Weidong didn't take it to heart.

Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals; for this level, letting Ning Wei handle it was enough.

His top priority right now was Wang Kaifeng.

He rode his bicycle from the Manager to Zhang Dajun's Police Station.

Taking advantage of the lunch break, the two of them went to the same small restaurant as last time to eat Muxu Pork.

It was still the same small private room inside; they ordered two dishes and one soup.

Ning Weidong explained the plan while eating.

Zhang Dajun couldn't help but be startled; the large mouthful of Muxu Pork he had just picked up with his chopsticks paused halfway.

It took several seconds for him to come to his senses, put his chopsticks into his bowl, and say urgently, "Brother, this of yours..." but he couldn't find the right words for a long time.

Ning Weidong knew that having Zhang Dajun charge into the fray for this plan carried no small risk for him.

He said sternly, "Brother Zhang, I know your concerns; if you are truly unwilling, I won't force you."

Zhang Dajun frowned and didn't speak.

Ning Weidong continued, "But in a person's life, opportunities are limited; if you miss this one, it might not come again."

Zhang Dajun felt a jolt in his heart.

Ning Weidong paused, then added, "Moreover, every opportunity comes with risks. If there were truly an opportunity without risk, there would only be two possibilities: either it's a scam, or it has no profit."

Zhang Dajun understood Ning Weidong's meaning and struggled intensely in his heart.

This time, Ning Weidong wanted to take him along to make a gamble; would he follow or not?

If he didn't follow, while he wouldn't have to bear the risk, he would also miss this opportunity, and at the same time, miss out on Ning Weidong as a person.

In reality, Zhang Dajun's position was one for doing dirty and tiring work.

If he couldn't step up at a critical moment, fearing the wolf in front and the tiger behind, he was destined to have no hope of getting ahead.

Zhang Dajun was a smart man; he had seen this clearly long ago.

But at the thought of Ning Weidong's plan, he still felt intimidated.

Now that the Wang Family and the Zhao Family had both pulled out, the other side was clearly determined to protect Wang Kaifeng at all costs.

In such a situation, what would be the consequence of a head-on confrontation? Would the other side be shamed into anger? If they vented their anger on him later, Ning Weidong had his brother and sister-in-law to protect him, but who would protect Zhang Dajun?

If this thunderbolt struck down, was he supposed to take it with his own head?

Zhang Dajun knew clearly that his small frame really couldn't take it!

But to shrink back...

Zhang Dajun looked at Ning Weidong across from him; the soup basin was steaming, standing between them on the table, making it hard for him to see Ning Weidong's expression clearly.

But it wasn't hard to guess that if he chickened out this time, his relationship with Ning Weidong would end here.

Although Chu Zhongxin was a big tree, there wasn't much he could use Zhang Dajun for.

And around Chu Zhongxin, there were too many people like Zhang Dajun; everyone was racking their brains trying to get close to Chu Zhongxin.

By comparison, Zhang Dajun had no advantages whatsoever.

If it weren't for the Ning Family being in his district, he wouldn't even have this opportunity in front of him.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, Ning Weidong returned from outside.

Just as he entered the South Gate, he saw a large crowd gathered on the open ground to his left, probably several dozen people, and there were people jeering.

Ning Weidong couldn't help but stop; he stretched his neck but couldn't see inside. Seeing a flower bed nearby, he stepped onto it and immediately saw a sea of heads.

In the middle of the heads, a circle with a diameter of four or five meters had formed, and two people were standing inside.

Ning Weidong took one look and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

One of these two was burly, especially with a large head that looked like a basket, a size larger than an average person's; it was exactly the Fan Datou from the South Gate that Chen had mentioned to him at noon.

The other person was Zhou Wu.

The two stood facing each other, Fan Datou gesturing and saying something, but because it was too far, Ning Weidong couldn't hear.

Zhou Wu gave a contemptuous smile and directly assumed a wrestling stance.

Over there, Fan Datou also lowered his center of gravity.

At this moment, Ning Weidong couldn't see through the crowd, but he spotted Ning Wei in the crowd, standing behind Zhou Wu, arms crossed, watching the battle carefully.

Ning Weidong understood what was going on in an instant.

Previously, Chen had warned that Fan Datou wanted to cause him trouble.

But as to how exactly he would cause trouble, or when, he had been vague.

Ning Weidong didn't have the energy to waste on such small fry, so he simply left the matter to Ning Wei to handle.

As for how to deal with it, the method was also very simple.

No matter what the other party was thinking or plotting, if one had the advantage in strength, one should pick the other party's strong point—the thing they were most proud of—and suppress it firmly.

Take this Fan Datou for example; a major reason he was able to make a name for himself in the Security Division and become the South Gate Squad Leader was his physical prowess.

There are several hundred people in the Security Division, many of whom came from the military, but the skills taught in the military are for killing enemies on the battlefield and are not necessarily suited for one-on-one sparring.

On the contrary, someone like Fan Datou, who has practiced martial arts and wrestling since childhood, is more likely to stand out, which allowed him to make a name for himself and catch the attention of Wang Kaifeng.

Today, Ning Wei and Zhou Wu intended to use this to deflate Fan Datou's arrogance.

In front of a crowd, they would knock Fan Datou down and force him to submit.

When that time came, Fan Datou's original supporters would immediately switch over to Zhou Wu's side.

These people had no real stance to begin with; they simply supported whoever was stronger.

Of course, the premise was that Zhou Wu could reliably take down Fan Datou; if he were the one beaten, none of it would hold up.

At this moment, the two stood in a stalemate for a few seconds before Fan Datou made the first move.

With a sliding step, he hunched his waist and dove low, charging fiercely toward Zhou Wu.

Zhou Wu did not dodge; he simply planted his feet in a horse stance, held his hands across his chest, and lunged forward to meet him.

With a "Bang!", the two collided, engaging in a raw test of strength to gauge each other's power.

After a few seconds of stalemate, Zhou Wu let out a sudden roar, his entire body's strength erupting like a lazy bear crashing into a tree.

Fan Datou immediately staggered, a look of surprise appearing on his face.

He hadn't expected Zhou Wu to be so formidable; his own height and build seemed to give him the advantage, yet he had lost in a test of strength.

In that split second of distraction, Zhou Wu immediately moved his hands, reaching for his collar with his rear hand, while almost simultaneously thrusting his front foot between Fan Datou's legs, driving his knee forward and following through with a shoulder check.

In the blink of an eye, Fan Datou let out a muffled grunt and landed flat on his back.

The surrounding crowd suddenly froze; they hadn't expected Fan Datou to be taken down in a single exchange.

Fan Datou often boasted about how powerful he was, acting like a bully in the city's wrestling pits.

In truth, Fan Datou wasn't entirely bluffing; he did have a reputation in the various wrestling pits of Beijing, but it depended on who he was being compared to.

Zhou Wu was simply not in the same league as them.

When Fan Datou went to the wrestling pits, to put it bluntly, he was just playing around.

Zhou Wu, however, relied on his hand-to-hand skills to earn a living and support his family; one was an amateur, the other a professional.

Usually, you couldn't tell the difference, but when it came to a critical moment, the gap was revealed the second they engaged.

Fan Datou propped himself up with his hands, looking at Zhou Wu opposite him in disbelief; Zhou Wu's movements just now had been too fast—his eyes could see them, but his body couldn't react in time.

"An expert!"

Fan Datou's heart sank as he glanced past Zhou Wu at Ning Wei behind him.

He knew this kid had been brought into the factory from the outside by Ning Weidong and was now in the Fourth Workshop duty room, effectively acting as Ning Weidong's spokesperson.

And this Zhou Wu, having come over with Ning Wei just now, was clearly prepared.

Fan Datou was not stupid; he had long since seen the signs, but he was confident that his own skills were not inferior to others, so he had intended to play along and then crush the other side's arrogance.

Last night, he had already heard rumors that Wang Kaifeng would be coming out soon.

If not for that, he wouldn't have dared to have such messy thoughts.

Zhou Wu stood where he was and chuckled, "If you aren't convinced, come again."

Fan Datou's expression was gloomy; after that one exchange, he knew he was no match for him. Never mind coming again—even if he came ten or twenty times, it would be useless.

But to just admit defeat like this—where would he, Fan Datou, put his face? Fan Datou gritted his teeth, the muscles in his cheeks twitching, as he occasionally scanned the few people beside him.

These people were his trusted aides; if he gave the word, they could swarm him together.

But at this moment, they were still inside the factory, in public, and he kept weighing his options but never dared to risk a mutual destruction.

Although he knew Wang Kaifeng would return tomorrow, what if? What if Wang Kaifeng didn't return, or what if things blew up before Wang Kaifeng returned? If he lost this job, how would his whole family live in the future? After thinking it over, Fan Datou ultimately lacked the courage to risk his life; he could only crawl up from the ground, let out a fierce grunt, push through the crowd, and walk away with his head down.

In that instant, someone in the crowd started a cheer, and it spread.

Others soon joined in the commotion.

Don't look at how Fan Datou seemed so glorious before; there were plenty of people in the Security Division who didn't like the look of him.

Now that they saw him suffer a setback, even if it had nothing to do with Ning Wei or Zhou Wu, they were happy to take the opportunity to kick a man when he was down.

Fan Datou kept his head low, his face turning from blue to white, and headed straight back to the South Gate guard room.

Seeing that the crowd had dispersed, Ning Weidong climbed down from the flower bed and returned to the office building at a leisurely pace.

Not long after he returned, Ning Wei and Zhou Wu arrived.

The two were quite excited; as soon as they entered the room, they chattered on about what had just happened, finally saying, "Third Brother, you didn't see the miserable look on Fan Datou's face; he looked like he wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into."

Ning Weidong laughed along, but this kind of thing could at most suppress Fan Datou's momentum; to remove this hidden danger, there had to be follow-up actions.

Ning Weidong said, "Xiao Wei, later when you go back, tell Lu Zhou to file a report saying the Fourth Workshop is short on people..."

Ning Wei reacted extremely quickly, his eyes immediately lighting up: "You want to move Fan Datou to the Fourth Workshop?"

Ning Weidong chuckled, which counted as an admission.

Fan Datou was not a person worth Ning Weidong spending much effort on, but the importance of the South Gate to the Security Division was not low, and continuing to let him remain at the South Gate was not advisable.

Ning Weidong added, "By the way, how have your dealings with Wu Bingzhong been these past few days?"

Ning Wei pondered, "This person Wu Bingzhong has a personality that seems honest but is actually flighty, and he thinks he's clever; he's very unreliable."

Ning Weidong smiled, "When did I ever say he was reliable? But besides him, do we have anyone else we can use at the South Gate? Put him in place for now; the resistance will be much smaller. Besides, once he's in power, how do you think Fan Datou will feel?"

Ning Wei pursed his lips and said nothing.

Zhou Wu, meanwhile, secretly swallowed his saliva; he had originally thought Ning Weidong's martial prowess was superb, but now it seemed that to be a Cadre in a factory as large as Red Star Factory, this guy's heart was truly dark!

It was a good thing he hadn't thought about revenge after being beaten by Ning Weidong back then and had even persuaded Zhang Jinfa; otherwise... the consequences would have been unthinkable!

Ning Weidong added, "Don't forget to ask Wu Bingzhong for money; you can't become the South Gate Squad Leader with empty hands."

Ning Wei immediately replied, "Third Brother, I understand; you've said so."

Ning Weidong said, "That old guy has quite a bit of family wealth; don't be afraid to ask. The more he pays, the more devoted he will be to doing things for us in the future."

Ning Wei responded with a sound and came out of Ning Weidong's Office.

Very quickly, Lu Zhou's application arrived on Ning Weidong's desk, and Ning Weidong took the application to Li Peihang's temporary Office.

At this moment, Li Peihang had already received word; hearing that Wang Guoqiang had exerted great effort on that side and that Wang Kaifeng would be able to return tomorrow, he was in a state of utter agitation.

He had thought victory was within his grasp, but he never expected there would actually be a turn of events.

Seeing Ning Weidong enter, Li Peihang immediately said, "Brother, have you heard too?"

"Heard what?" Ning Weidong was stunned, reaching out to place Lu Zhou's application on Li Peihang's desk.

Li Peihang said irritably, "Wang Kaifeng is coming back!"

Ning Weidong smiled, "Oh~ I thought it was something else~ Brother Li, put your heart at ease, he won't be coming back! I said so~"

Li Peihang was stunned; he hadn't expected that his worry-filled heart would be met with Ning Weidong's resolute answer, so he hurriedly asked, "Brother, do you already have a countermeasure? How exactly is it arranged? Tell me quickly."

Ning Weidong, however, said, "Brother Li, you'll naturally know tomorrow. First, stamp this for me."

Only then did Li Peihang look at that application form, raising an eyebrow, "You want to transfer Fan Datou to the Fourth Workshop?"

Ning Weidong said, "Borrowing him temporarily, who told them to be short-handed over there~ We can't pile all the 'elite troops and capable generals' at the South Gate, don't you think~"

Li Peihang was an old hand in the bureaucracy; how could he not see Ning Weidong's meaning?

This was to completely disrupt the underlying structure of the Security Division.

He couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart, almost slapping his thigh.

How had he not thought of this himself~ Knowing Wang Kaifeng might return, he had just been worried and complaining about heaven and others, never thinking to take the opportunity to arrange things in advance.

In the original structure of the Security Division, Wang Kaifeng could occupy sixty percent, and Li Peihang occupied forty percent.

Among them, the South Gate, as the most important gate of the Manager, was firmly held by Wang Kaifeng.

Now, taking the opportunity to transfer Fan Datou away was definitely a good move.

Even if Wang Kaifeng really returned, it could maximize the containment and delay of the other party regaining control of the Security Division.

Thinking this through, Li Peihang didn't say another word, immediately taking the official seal from the drawer, dipping it into the inkpad, and stamping it down fiercely.

Ning Weidong came out of Li Peihang's temporary Office, returned to his own Office, picked up the phone directly, and dialed the South Gate guard station: "Hello, I am Ning Weidong, have Comrade Fan Jianshe come to my Office for a trip."

Fan Jianshe was Fan Datou's real name.

At this time, he was feeling depressed in the South Gate guard room; the person who had just answered the phone put it down and looked at him, saying, "Brother Fan, that Ning Weidong wants you to go over."

Fan Datou was already holding back anger, and upon hearing Ning Weidong's name, his anger flared up even more.

Just now, Zhou Wu had followed Ning Wei, and Ning Wei was Ning Weidong's cousin; this was not a secret in the Manager.

Now that Ning Weidong was calling him over, what good could come of it?

He had a mind to simply not go, but then he thought, Ning Weidong was now a Deputy Section Chief, having taken over Li Peihang's original work, and the power in his hands was not small.

If he really rejected Ning Weidong's face, he would definitely be used as an example to establish authority.

Fan Datou got a headache just thinking about it.

Fortunately, someone beside him gave him a way out: "Brother Fan, why don't you go and see; the one surnamed Ning is a Deputy Section Chief after all, we can't afford to clash with those in the Office Building."

Fan Datou gave an "un" sound, patted his pants, and stood up: "I'll just go and see what he has to say to me!"

Fan Datou kept a straight face, looking indifferent as he walked out of the South Gate, yet he unconsciously quickened his pace.

Arriving outside Ning Weidong's Office door, Fan Datou licked his lips, stood properly, reached out to knock on the door, and shouted "Report."

Now that there was no one around, he didn't need to put on airs, and he didn't dare to show attitude here either.

Ning Weidong said "Come in."

Fan Datou pushed the door and entered, seeing the young Ning Weidong sitting behind the desk, holding a fountain pen and writing something without even lifting his eyelids, saying, "Sit~"

Fan Datou hurriedly responded and sat on the edge of the sofa, but didn't dare to lean back.

Ning Weidong didn't speak; in the room, one could only hear the sound of the pen nib rubbing against the draft paper.

Fan Datou was made increasingly nervous by this atmosphere, placing his hands on his knees, shifting his bottom from time to time, looking at the wall clock, feeling that time passed extremely slowly; after waiting for a long time, it had only been one minute.

A full three minutes later, Ning Weidong stopped his pen, looked up at him, and said with a smile, "Comrade Fan Jianshe, you are an old comrade of our Security Division; when I first entered the Manager, you were already an Advanced Worker, for several years in a row now, right~"

Fan Jianshe gave a dry laugh, not knowing why Ning Weidong was suddenly mentioning this. Ning Weidong ignored his reaction and continued, "You are an elite troop and capable general of our Security Division; now there is a task, I've thought and thought, others won't do, only you can step up..."

Fan Jianshe's mouth twitched; just from what Ning Weidong said, he guessed a few clues.

First put on a high hat, then from behind, give a kick to the butt, and kick him fiercely into the pit.

He had done this kind of thing before, but he didn't expect it to fall on himself today.

Hearing Ning Weidong finish, he also understood that Ning Weidong intended to transfer him from the South Gate to the Fourth Workshop.

This was a blatant removal of the firewood from under the cauldron! Yet he couldn't refuse; in theory, Ning Weidong indeed had the power of personnel transfer within the division.

Originally, Li Peihang also had this right, but under Wang Kaifeng's suppression, it was rarely used.

Now, Ning Weidong and Li Peihang were in the same camp, and it was uncertain whether Wang Kaifeng could even be released.

Ning Weidong exercised this right without any hindrance, and he used it in a high-sounding manner.

He even took care of his emotions, giving him a Worker-turned-Cadre position, and making him a deputy to Lu Zhou at the Fourth Workshop.

Seeing Fan Datou didn't respond, Ning Weidong said with a half-smile, "What, are there difficulties?"

Fan Datou was still quite smart; knowing that in the current situation, he had no qualifications to object, he hurriedly shook his head: "Report to the leader, I obey the organization's arrangement and guarantee to complete the task."

Ning Weidong nodded and took out the completed procedures to hand to him.

This person was still sensible, which saved some trouble: "That's good, go report now; let Comrade Wu Bingzhong take charge of the South Gate for now."

Fan Datou lowered his head, a flash of ferocity in his eyes, muttering Wu Bingzhong's name in his heart: "Good old dog Wu, so it was you!"

He didn't dare to offend Ning Weidong, so he had to record this debt on Wu Bingzhong's head.

At the same time, Wu Bingzhong was completely bewildered, looking at Ning Wei, who was not much older than his own son.

Ning Wei said expressionlessly, "Old Wu, my third brother specifically mentioned it, letting me come to find you first to give you this opportunity. This is the Squad Leader of the South Gate; if you don't want to do it, there are plenty of people who do. Give me a straight answer, are you doing it or not? If not, I'll find someone else."

Wu Bingzhong swallowed a mouthful of saliva, still feeling a bit unsure.

He had heard Fan Datou reveal last night that Wang Kaifeng was coming back soon.

When that time comes, the Security Division will still be the Wang Family's world.

Now Ning Wei is asking him for one thousand yuan, which can let him take Fan Datou's position.

Don't look at how his salary is about the same as Fan Datou's on the surface; this so-called Squad Leader Fan Datou gets an extra two yuan in subsidies a month.

In reality, Fan Datou has quite a few hidden sources of income.

If he can really sit firmly in the position, spending one thousand yuan is really not much.

But the problem is, can he sit firmly? Wu Bingzhong wavered in his heart.

Ning Wei curled his lip: "Then you think about it some more~ I'll go ask someone else."

Seeing that Ning Wei was about to leave, Wu Bingzhong's heart felt as if it had been grabbed by someone, and he hurriedly pulled him back: "Brother, brother, don't be in such a rush! I agree, I agree."

Ning Wei let out a "humph" and didn't give him a good look either.

He had seen through it; for a person like Wu Bingzhong, if you give him a good face, he will climb all over you.

A moment later, Wu Bingzhong returned to the South Gate, feeling anxious about gains and losses.

Just as he entered the room, he saw Fan Datou packing his things, with a few people gathered around him.

When Fan Datou saw him, the malice in his eyes was undisguised, and he gritted his teeth: "Wu Bingzhong, I didn't see it coming~ you really are a good one!"

Wu Bingzhong knew what he was talking about and subconsciously wanted to explain.

But then he thought about it, and the words that reached his lips were swallowed back down.

At this time, he cannot show weakness, otherwise, even if he becomes the Squad Leader, he won't have the prestige to convince the masses.

Wu Bingzhong hardened his heart and said: "Old Fan, why must you be like this? Whether I am a good one or not is not for you to say; work is all arranged by the organization, and it's useless for you to blame me."

"You—" Fan Datou was speechless for a moment, not expecting that the usually timid Wu Bingzhong could also talk back.

Once these words were said, it was equivalent to tearing off the mask, and Wu Bingzhong had no more scruples. He glanced at the few people beside Fan Datou and said in a neither fish nor fowl tone: "Old Liu, Old Wang, Big Zhang... do you all want to go to the Fourth Workshop with Old Fan? If so, that's no problem; I will submit a report to Section Chief Ning and have you all transferred over too."

The few people were originally Fan Datou's people, but at this moment, they all felt a chill in their hearts.

Go to the Fourth Workshop, are you kidding! Although it's all the Security Division, can the perks of the Fourth Workshop compare to the South Gate? The responsibilities are also especially heavy; you'd have to be insane to go.

What's more, their relationship with Fan Datou wasn't one of sticking by each other through thick and thin; they were just drinking buddies.

Upon hearing Wu Bingzhong's threat, the few people immediately took a step back one after another, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Fan Datou's mouth twitched, and he gritted his teeth: "Wu Bingzhong, you're good!" Without looking at the others, he picked up his things and strode away.

At the same time, in Li Weibing's Office.

Li Peihang had just come over and told him about Ning Weidong's move to send Fan Datou to the Fourth Workshop.

Li Weibing, however, had a solemn face and said: "These are all tactical, they cannot reverse the overall situation..."

Li Peihang hurriedly asked: "Uncle, yesterday there were people in the Manager saying that Wang Kaifeng can come back tomorrow, is it true or false?"

Li Weibing pursed his lips; although he didn't answer, this attitude made Li Peihang's heart tighten, and he hurriedly asked again: "Is there really no other way?"

Li Weibing sighed helplessly: "This time Wang Guoqiang has gone all out and found his former old leader to speak for him. Let alone me, even the Wang Family and the Zhao Family will find it very hard to withstand!"

Li Peihang felt dejected; if Wang Kaifeng returns, where will he be placed?

Previously, the Manager had already held a meeting; he was promoted to Deputy Division Chief, and Ning Weidong to Deputy Section Chief. This is a settled fact and definitely cannot be taken back.

If Wang Kaifeng returns and the Division Chief of the Security Division is still there, Wang Kaifeng's situation will be very awkward.

But the problem is, there is no Division Chief for the Security Division; if Wang Kaifeng returns safe and sound, it will be logical for him to advance a step.

At that time, it will be Li Peihang and Ning Weidong who will be uncomfortable.

And now, the only hope is with Ning Weidong; Ning Weidong had previously been adamant, guaranteeing that Wang Kaifeng would not be able to return.

Even now, Li Peihang cannot figure out what means he actually has.

And at this moment, Ning Weidong had just received a call from Chu Zhongxin.

On the other end of the phone, Chu Zhongxin called out "Weidong," followed by a silence.

Ning Weidong knew it must be a problem on Wang Kaifeng's side and took the initiative to ask: "Fourth Brother, what is the situation now?"

Chu Zhongxin said: "An old leader has put in a word; if there is no new, more powerful evidence, I can at most detain the person until tomorrow morning."

Previously, Chu Zhongxin promised two days, which was until tomorrow evening before getting off work.

Now it has been shortened by nearly ten hours, a whole day.

Counting it up, there are only sixteen hours left.

Ning Weidong was not particularly agitated and said in a deep voice: "Fourth Brother, I understand; before tomorrow morning, this matter will definitely have a conclusion."

Hearing the phone hang up, Chu Zhongxin felt a wave of inexplicable complexity in his heart.

He had prepared quite a few arguments to persuade Ning Weidong when he made this call, but he didn't expect Ning Weidong's reaction to be so calm, which surprised him greatly.

More importantly, even at this point, Ning Weidong actually hadn't given up! This made Chu Zhongxin feel somewhat complex; Ning Weidong's calmness and tenacity exceeded his expectations.

He imagined that if it were him facing this situation, he would have definitely given up already.

Precisely because of this, just now on the phone, he couldn't bring himself to say words persuading Ning Weidong to give up.

Let's wait~ just see what means Ning Weidong has to turn the tide before dawn tomorrow.

Ning Weidong put down the phone, took a deep breath, sat behind the office desk, unconsciously pulled out a cigarette and lit it, his gaze looking at the withered branches on the tree outside the window, with not too many thoughts or ideas in his mind.

Things have reached this point; the preparations and arrangements that could be made have all been completed.

On Zhang Dajun's side, on Zhou Wu's side... whether it succeeds or fails, it all depends on tonight!

Unknowingly, the half pack of cigarettes in Ning Weidong's pocket was smoked clean; he crumpled the red packaging into a ball and tossed it into the wastebasket.

The sky outside the window dimmed.

Ning Weidong checked the time; it was already past five o'clock.

Ning Weidong was in no rush to get off work; he did not plan on going back today, as he intended to stay in the Office to guard the telephone and deal with any accidents that might occur.

At this moment, Ning Wei knocked on the door and entered, carrying two lunch boxes in his hands: "Third Brother, have a bite to eat first."

Ning Weidong stood up, stretched his body, and asked, "Have you eaten?"

Ning Wei said, "I've finished; I went a few minutes early just now."

Ning Weidong gave a hum, went over to the washbasin stand to wash his hands, and began to eat.

At the same time, less than one kilometer away from this place, two people rode bicycles and arrived outside the Red Star Factory Cadre Family Quarters.

——

Nine thousand words, requesting subscriptions! (End of chapter)