Chapter 349: Secret Code: The Mystery Within the Old Magazine

The grandmaster duel and corpse in the Ghost Market Alley were like a stone thrown into a deep pool, stirring a continuous ripple in Li Ping'an's heart.

The darkest moment before dawn, he did not return home to disturb his wife and children, but instead took the old magazine that hid the death code and went straight to the concealed contact point arranged with the Project Team.

Group Leader Sun had already been urgently awakened and was waiting there, his complexion appearing somewhat solemn under the dim yellow desk lamp.

After hearing Li Ping'an's concise yet thrilling report, especially learning that the opponent was a Xingyi Quan master of grandmaster level who decisively took poison and killed himself, his graying eyebrows knit tightly together.

"Carrying lethal poison at all times, acting so ruthlessly, well‑trained, clear‑sighted…"

Group Leader Sun ran his fingers over the seemingly ordinary old magazine, its cover showing a faded movie star whose smile blossomed like a flower, yet inside it might conceal demons, and said, "This is certainly not an ordinary information dealer or a leftover petty thug. Comrade Ping'an, what you've encountered this time could be a real big fish, or at least a very critical 'messenger'."

Li Ping'an nodded, pointing to some barely perceptible pencil scratches on the magazine's inner pages: "These are it. Very faint, as if made unintentionally, but the distribution and lengths seem to follow a pattern."

Group Leader Sun immediately put on his reading glasses, leaned under the lamp, and examined closely. He then signaled a technical expert who had been on standby nearby to come over and look together.

The expert took out a magnifying glass and even used some special solution to test the blank areas.

"It's not a conventional code‑writing method," the technical expert pushed his glasses up, his tone tinged with research excitement, "The depth, direction, and relative position of these scratches to the printed lines… resemble some kind of coordinate mapping or marking system. It will take time to compare and analyze, perhaps requiring a reference."

"Reference…" Sun mused, "The magazine itself might be part of the reference. Check its issue number, volume, publication date, even distribution channels. As for the corpse of the man in black, I've already assigned people to handle it; we'll try to conduct an autopsy and trace his identity, though hopes are slim."

He turned to Li Ping'an, his gaze containing both admiration and deeper entrustment: "Ping'an, you've earned another merit, but you've also placed yourself in a more conspicuous—and possibly more dangerous—spot. The other side, having lost such a master, will not let this go peacefully. You and your family's safety must be given greater attention. The Security Section in the factory also needs to be upgraded accordingly; I fear their reach may extend farther than we imagine."

"I understand," Li Ping'an replied in a low voice. He had been mentally prepared. From the moment he chose to follow, he knew he might get drawn deeper.

"On the factory side, I'll tighten security, especially in the key workshop and material warehouse. Regarding this magazine and any possible code, inform me of any progress immediately."

"Certainly," Group Leader Sun said solemnly, "You haven't slept all night; go back and rest, don't let your family worry. I'll have Jiang He relay any news to you."

Li Ping'an left the contact point as dawn was already hazy. The crisp morning wind brushed his face, carrying away a hint of fatigue.

He didn't go straight home; instead he detoured to the Steel Rolling Mill, wandering seemingly aimlessly around its outer perimeter, his Divine Perception quietly unfolding, feeling the massive plant gradually awaken in the morning light.

The pre‑heat hum of the machines, the chatter of the early‑shift workers, the aroma of porridge drifting from the canteen… everything seemed so normal, so full of vigor.

Yet beneath this thriving vitality, he seemed to sense a faint, almost intangible, cold feeling of being watched.

It didn't come from any specific person, but a pervasive vigilance born of new awareness.

The spy's shadow hadn't fully vanished with the netting of Yang Tail Alley, and because of the Ghost Market encounter, it grew even more inscrutable.

When he returned home, Lin Xueqing had already gotten up, preparing a simple breakfast in the kitchen.

Seeing him enter with a chill about him, a faint teal in her eyes, she didn't ask further, but said gently, "Freshen up and have some hot porridge. Yaozong hasn't woken yet."

"Ah." Li Ping'an felt a warmth inside and replied. The tranquility of family is the most effective harbor against the world's storms.

He quickly tidied himself, sat at the dining table, and took the bowl of porridge his wife handed him. The hot porridge cleared the night's chill and tension.

"Is the hospital busy today?" he asked.

"It's okay; there's a surgery in the morning, and the afternoon should finish on time." Lin Xueqing looked at him, adding softly, "You also take care of yourself."

Li Ping'an grasped her hand and nodded. Some things need not be fully explained; they both understood.

Li Ping'an's brief warm moments at home did not affect the other 'underlying current' surging inside the Steel Rolling Mill. Xu Damao felt lately he was truly 'in the right place at the right time'!

The spy incident was frightening, but to him it was a matter for the Security Section and public security, far from his concerns. Conversely, the 'byproduct' of this incident—the unprecedented emphasis throughout the factory on 'security', 'systems', and 'management'—was a tailwind tailor‑made for him!

His 'Suggestions for Improving Logistics Material Management System and Eliminating Loopholes (Revised Draft)', under Li Huaide's 'kind concern' and 'specific guidance', underwent several revisions, emerging completely transformed, adorned with lofty titles such as 'Learn from Profound Lessons', 'Strengthen Internal Defenses', and 'Serve the Production Grand Strategy'; the slogans and policies quoted throughout were tightly interwoven.

The crucial point was that it explicitly called for 'establishing a cross‑departmental Material Supervision and Inspection Team', 'cleaning up historical accounts', 'standardizing procurement and requisition procedures', and 'suggested that the factory Supervision Team office lead the coordination'.

The meaning could not be clearer: Xu Damao intended to use this tailwind to formally reach into the core of logistics management, even gaining some sort of audit authority!

That morning, he tucked the suggestion paper, still smelling of fresh ink, and knocked on Li Huaide's office door again.

This time, his back was straighter, and his face radiated a 'who else but me' sense of mission.

Li Huaide took the suggestion paper, leisurely leafed through it, his face expressionless, only occasionally lightly marking a spot with a red pen.

Xu Damao stood with his hands at his sides before the desk, his heart feeling like a rabbit trapped inside, thumping wildly, his eyes fixed on Li Huaide's fingers and mouth corners, trying to gauge the leader's thoughts.

"Hmm…" after a long pause, Li Huaide finally set the suggestion paper down, removed his glasses, rubbed his bridge of the nose, and said, "Damao, this piece shows you've put effort into it. The approach is correct, keeping pace with the current situation's demands."

Xu Damao's heart lit up, his face beaming with smiles: "All thanks to Factory Director Li's excellent guidance! I merely refined and implemented your directives…"

Li Huaide waved his hand, cutting off the flattery: "However, the steps shouldn't be too large, and the force must be considered. The logistics side involves a wide scope and its historical context is rather complex. Factory Director Yang has always placed great emphasis on production assurance."

Xu Damao immediately understood and lowered his voice: "Factory Director, I understand. So our suggestion stems from the angles of 'perfecting the system' and 'preventing risks', entirely for the factory's benefit. We could start with non‑core, consumable materials, set up a pilot; this faces little resistance, yields quick results, and showcases our supervision work's effectiveness and… necessity."

He chewed the three characters 'necessity' a little too heavily.

Li Huaide gave him a glance, his eyes deep, revealing no emotion: "Leave this here for now. The factory has many recent matters; this needs to be discussed at the meeting. Also,"

he shifted tone, "You also need to mind your methods, listen to opinions from all sides, especially those of the concrete business departments. Don't let people think we're staging a 'sudden strike' or 'starting a new furnace.'"

"Yes, yes, yes, Factory Director, you're right! I'll definitely watch my work methods, communicate more, coordinate more!"

Xu Damao nodded repeatedly, but thought: "Listen to business department opinions? Will Yang Weiguo's old subordinates say anything positive? Yet Factory Director Li says this, probably reminding me to be more 'smooth', to perfect the surface work. I feel I've fully grasped the leader's intent."

Leaving Li Huaide's office, Xu Damao felt the sky had become bluer. He imagined himself sitting as deputy head of the 'Material Supervision and Inspection Team', ledger in hand, directing the logistics section, while the section chiefs and supervisors who usually ignored him would now be forced to smile apologetically…

He happily returned to the Publicity Section, just encountering Little Liu from the film projection crew polishing a machine.

Xu Damao, rare in tone, said brightly to Xiao Liu: "Little Liu, the machine maintenance is good! In two days there'll be a new film; prepare well and play it properly for the worker comrades!"

Little Liu, flattered, quickly replied. Watching Xu Damao hum a folk‑opera tune as he left, Little Liu scratched his head and muttered, "Group Leader Xu… is he… picking up money?"

Xu Damao truly felt he was picking up 'money', a 'golden brick' that could knock on the door of his future. He didn't realize that this 'golden brick' might not only ring the door of opportunity, but also open a new round of more complex, more explosive conflict.

And he, jubilant, was walking on the edge of the eye of the storm, believing himself safe.

Meanwhile, in the concealed office of the Project Team, the technical expert made a breakthrough discovery.

The scratch code on that old magazine, after being compared with fragments of a specific version of a Republican‑era commercial codebook, successfully deciphered a short piece of information! The information pointed to a time, a place, and a vague code name.

Time: four days later, at six p. m.

Location: near North New Bridge, the second floor of the Listening Rain tea house, the third seat by the window.

Code name: 'Harrier'.

Group Leader Sun stared at the decoded slip, his gaze sharp as a blade. 'Harrier'… a new contact? A higher‑level superior? Or another 'messenger' who needs to convey intelligence?

"Deploy immediately! Rigorously monitor the Listening Rain tea house and all surrounding passages! Scrutinize all personnel information that might be linked to 'Harrier'!"

Group Leader Sun decisively ordered, "This time, we'll cast a net and see what kind of 'bird' actually comes."

A new net was quietly cast toward North New Bridge.

Inside the Steel Rolling Mill, Xu Damao used the east wind to ignite a small flame, and in an unnoticed corner, he quietly licked the dry firewood.

The secret code in the old magazine and the abacus on the power ledger inside the factory ran on their respective parallel tracks, yet both pointed to the same increasingly mysterious spring, as if a storm were approaching.