Chapter 368: Investigating the Undercurrents

Dawn light was faint.

In the Siheyuan's west wing, steady breathing and the faint sound of fists and feet breaking the air had already sounded.

Li Yaozong stood in a horse stance, his small face tense, fine beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

Li Ping'an stood to the side, his gaze calm, occasionally speaking up to correct.

"Sink your stance a bit more."

"When punching, let the waist power follow; don't rely only on the arms."

The five-year-old trained earnestly; although some moves were slightly deformed due to insufficient strength, that focused earnestness made Li Ping'an's eyes flash with relief.

After finishing a set of the martial art, Li Yaozong lowered his posture, exhaled a long breath, and showed the exaggerated fatigue typical of a child.

"Dad, I'm done!"

"Hmm, you've improved." Li Ping'an nodded, "Go wash your face and see if your sister is awake."

Li Yaozong instantly perked up, the fatigue on his face vanishing as he dashed into the room like a young colt.

Soon, his deliberately lowered yet still excited voice came from inside the room.

"Sister, Xueqing, wake up quick! The sun's baking your butt!"

Next came a baby's babbling reply, along with his wife Lin Xueqing's lightly scolding, smiling tone.

"Yaozong, keep it down, don't wake your sister."

Li Ping'an stood in the courtyard, listening to the indoor sounds, his mouth unconsciously curling up slightly.

The morning air was crisp and dry, with the particular freshness of autumn.

From the front courtyard came Yan Bu Gui's rustling as he swept; from the central courtyard, Jia Zhangshi's sharp cough; from the rear courtyard, a muffled sound of Liu Haizhong scolding his second son, Liu Guangtian.

These sounds intertwined, forming the beginning of an ordinary day in the Siheyuan.

Li Yaozong carefully took the just-awake, eye-rubbing Xiao Nuanqing from Lin Xueqing's arms.

The little girl, over a year old, with a pink face and big, dark eyes, looked at her brother approaching and burst into giggles.

Li Yaozong held his soft little sister, walked into the courtyard, faced the morning light, and wore a solemn expression.

"Sister, grow up quickly."

"Once you can walk, big brother will teach you kung fu!"

"We won't be spoiled brats; we'll be... great heroes! Chivalrous and righteous, we'll beat up bad guys!"

He imitated the tone from opera, his childish voice sounding surprisingly proper.

Xiao Nuanqing clearly didn't understand, merely amused by her brother's exaggerated expression as she reached out her tiny hand to grab his nose.

Li Ping'an watched this scene, and the part of his heart that had been tensed by factory affairs quietly softened.

Kung fu.

Inheritance.

Protection.

These words carried different weights in his heart.

Teaching his son kung fu was not just about strengthening the body; it was also a tempering of the mind and an awakening of responsibility.

As for his daughter……

He looked toward Nuanqing, who was giggling from being teased by her son.

Her path might be different.

But she, too, needs strength and wisdom to face this complex world.

"Alright, hand the sister to Mom. It's time to prepare the medicinal bath." Li Ping'an spoke.

Li Yaozong reluctantly handed his sister back to the emerging Lin Xueqing, his small face full of both anticipation and resistance toward the "medicinal bath."

The medicinal bath was a rule set by Li Ping'an.

It must be done after each earnest practice session.

It is said to loosen tendons and activate blood, strengthen bones and joints, and especially prevent hidden injuries from improper training in childhood.

The formula was Li Ping'an's own concoction, mixed with some mild rare herb roots and stems he found in the jade pendant's space.

Wrapped in coarse cloth, with common mugwort, safflower, and cassia twig added, it was simmered in a large pot into a dark brown medicinal decoction.

Then hot water was added in appropriate amount, and the temperature adjusted.

Soon the bathroom filled with steam, permeated by a rich, distinctive herbal aroma.

Li Yaozong stripped down to just his small underpants, and Li Ping'an carried him into the half‑old large wooden tub.

The warm, slightly hot medicinal water enveloped his body.

At first it was a bit scalding, and he grimaced.

But soon, a warm sensation seeped in from his skin, flowing through his limbs.

The slight soreness after training seemed to truly be slowly dissipating.

"Dad, does soaking in this really make one a great hero?" Li Yaozong leaned against the tub's edge, asking curiously.

"Being a great hero isn't achieved by just soaking in a bath." Li Ping'an scooped the medicinal water with a gourd ladle and gently poured it onto his son's shoulder. "It requires daily hard training, a heart that discerns right from wrong, and the courage to protect the weak. The medicinal bath merely helps you build a solid physical foundation so you can train without harming your body and go farther."

Li Yaozong nodded, half‑understanding, and comfortably narrowed his eyes in the warm medicinal water.

Li Ping'an watched his son's face gradually relax, while his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Injuring the body……

Xu Damao's leg—who knows if it will leave a lingering ailment.

And those hidden plots that constantly harm people—aren't they also a more vicious kind of "harming the body"?

The medicinal bath ended, and Li Yaozong's red‑cheeked face was wrapped in a dry towel.

Lin Xueqing had already prepared a simple breakfast.

Bangzi noodle porridge, steamed cornbread, a small plate of pickled vegetables, and also a bit of red-braised pork that had been deliberately saved from last night.

The family of four sat around the small table.

Sunlight fully illuminated the room.

"Ping'an, how's the factory today?" Lin Xueqing asked casually.

"There's nothing urgent today; I'll go punch in and handle some paperwork."

Li Ping'an interrupted her, his tone ordinary, "Jiang He's side is watching; nothing will go wrong."

He didn't elaborate.

After the Joint Investigation Team moved in, many matters entered a higher-level secret investigation stage.

Conversely, he could directly participate in fewer things.

Mostly it was waiting and cooperating.

But this waiting was not idle.

He needed to digest the existing clues, deduce possible developments, and at the same time ensure that the steel rolling mill itself—this chessboard—did not go awry.

More importantly, he had to pay attention to any unusual pressure or signal that might feed back from the City Bureau.

The shopkeeper was hidden within the City Bureau.

This judgment has now become the core work direction of the Joint Investigation Team.

But the City Bureau's system is huge, with complex personnel.

The shopkeeper might be merely the head of a certain department, or could be at a higher level.

The investigation must be secret and must be precise.

Otherwise, alerting the enemy would have unimaginable consequences.

Li Ping'an knew that Group Leader Zheng and his team were surely under enormous pressure.

Any leak of information could render all previous efforts wasted, and might even provoke a fiercer backlash.

He hastily finished breakfast, pushed his bicycle out the door.

In the central courtyard, Qin Huairu was washing a whole family's clothes under the public faucet.

Bang Geng played with Xiao Dang nearby.

Seeing Li Ping'an, Qin Huairu lifted her head and smiled slightly, as a greeting.

The Jia household's door curtain was tightly shut; Jia Zhangshi was probably still in bed "nursing her illness."

The rear courtyard was quiet.

Xu Damao's house remained locked.

From Liu Haizhong's house came the timid, agreeing replies of his second son, Liu Guangtian.

In the front courtyard, Yan Bu Gui had finished cleaning; he was holding a small spray bottle, misting his few pots of chrysanthemums.

Seeing Li Ping'an, he immediately put on a smile.

"Ping'an, off to work? The factory… has been busy lately, right?"

"Not bad." Li Ping'an nodded, his steps not stopping.

"Um… Xu Damao's wife, Wang Cuihua, came back yesterday to tidy up, her eyes red, and she kept telling anyone who'd listen how brave Xu Damao was, saying the factory would surely not mistreat him…" Yan Bu Gui made it sound like casual chat, but his eyes betrayed his probing.

Li Ping'an grunted an "uh," didn't respond, and walked straight out of the courtyard gate.

Yan Bu Gui pursed his lips slightly in disappointment, then continued fussing with his flowers.

Li Ping'an mounted his bicycle and merged into the flow of people heading to work.

Steel Rolling Mill Security Department.

The atmosphere was completely different from the warm morning light of the siheyuan.

A restrained, oppressive tension permeated the air.

Chen Jianghe was already there, bloodshot in his eyes, obviously having stayed up late again.

"Big Brother." He came forward, lowering his voice, "Nothing abnormal. Xu Damao's side is stable, Lao Sun Tou and Su Xiulan are also quiet. It's just…"

He hesitated a moment.

"This morning the City Bureau office called, saying Deputy Director Zhao, who oversees archives, wanted to review the original records of our recent major safety inspections and the preliminary interrogation transcripts of some persons involved, claiming it was to 'improve the citywide safety regulations for industrial and mining enterprises.'"

Li Ping'an's steps halted.

Deputy Director Zhao?

Review the original records and interrogation transcripts?

The reason sounded respectable.

But at this critical juncture…

"How did you respond?"

"I said the original records are still being organized and filed, and that parts involve unsettled case details requiring approval, so I asked them to send an official document." Chen Jianghe replied.

Li Ping'an nodded.

"That's right. When the official document arrives, follow normal procedure: copies can be provided, but clearly mark the classification and restrictions. Originals are never to be lent out. Also, note the other party's caller ID number, name, and exact wording."

"Understood."

The two walked into the office.

Li Ping'an picked up the phone and dialed the internal number that Team Leader Zheng of the Joint Investigation Team had left for him.

He briefly reported the situation of the City Bureau's call requesting to review materials.

On the other end of the line, Team Leader Zheng fell silent for a few seconds.

"Understood. Handle it according to normal procedure; don't show any abnormality. We've got this covered."

After hanging up, Li Ping'an pondered for a moment.

Deputy Director Zhao…

Is it normal business dealings?

Or the Shopkeeper, or a probe by someone associated with the Shopkeeper?

Or perhaps they want to find, within these records, any trace that could expose them and erase it in advance?

There are many possibilities.

But in any case, this is a signal.

It indicates that the secret operation of the Joint Investigation Team may have already unsettled some people.

The Shopkeeper's network has started to react.

"Jianghe," Li Ping'an said to Chen Jianghe, "From today onward, all documents and Telephone communications entering or leaving the Security Department, even the most routine business dealings, must be handled with extra caution. Records must be detailed, handovers clear. Especially those involving the City Bureau system."

Chen Jianghe nodded gravely.

He knew that beneath the seemingly calm surface, the undercurrents had become even more turbulent.

Li Ping'an sat down.

He picked up his pen and began handling daily documents.

His gaze was steady, his writing firm.

It was as if that earlier Telephone, which might have hidden a twist, was merely ordinary business.

But in his mind, various pieces of information were rapidly converging and being analyzed.

Deputy Director Zhao's background?

His possible connection to the old Yongli Machine Factory case?

Any intersection with the missing foreman surnamed Tan?

Even whether he ever had contact at some point in time with Su Xiulan's brother, Zhang Jianguo?

All these need to be clarified by the investigation team.

All he can do is keep the steel factory side steady.

At the same time, like teaching his son to practice cultivation, he makes each step solid.

Making no mistakes is the greatest contribution.

Outside the window, the plant's machines roared.

The workers were busy at their respective stations.

They did not know that a silent contest concerning the safety of this factory, and even a broader area, was intensively underway.

They knew even less that the Li Chief, who sat daily in the Security Department office with a calm expression, was now guarding this noisy realm's peace with vigilant patience.

Li Ping'an finished reviewing a document and looked up toward the window.

The sunlight was just right.

But he knew.

Some fog would not dissipate because of the sunlight.

It required sharper eyes and a steadier hand to part it.

And what he could do.

Was to stand steady at the edge of this fog and keep it guarded.