Chapter 2893: Unloading Cargo

Provincial Government!

Jiang Yunfeng personally got out of the car to register at the gate, and as the electric door slowly opened, an Audi, a pickup truck, and a truck carrying four large boxes slowly drove into the Qiong Province's most prestigious compound.

This compound sees many vehicles coming and going every day, but trucks have never entered before—especially not carrying four large boxes. Though few people were around, they still drew attention.

The truck stopped in front of the office building, and Zhou Andong and a few others got out: "Secretary Jiang, could you find a few people to help unload the boxes?"

"No problem!" Jiang Yunfeng smiled and agreed: "Just wait a moment!"

Jiang Yunfeng turned and entered the office building. Zhou Andong climbed onto the truck, gripping the frame and straining to move it—it wouldn't budge. Knowing he could carry a 160-pound sack, but this box wouldn't move at all—it must weigh at least three or four hundred pounds.

"How is it?" Tang Lin stood beneath the truck, looking up at Zhou Andong: "How heavy could it be?"

Zhou Andong pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it: "Very heavy—probably over 200 kilograms."

Zhang Zuo also climbed onto the truck and kicked the box with his foot: "What on earth is inside? You really don't know?"

Zhou Andong didn't answer him, his mind racing: what could possibly be inside? The most likely possibility he could think of was smuggled advanced equipment. After all, the research institute needed many advanced instruments, but due to the embargo, he had previously informed Alice to keep an eye out.

Now, based on various signs, the likelihood that these four large boxes contain advanced equipment is highest. As for how Alice managed to bring them in so openly—no need to guess, it's money that opens the way.

While Zhou Andong was pondering, Jiang Yunfeng emerged from the office building with over twenty people: "Director Zhou, I've brought the crew."

Zhou Andong looked at them and smiled: "We don't need this many people."

"Many hands make light work!" Jiang Yunfeng approached the truck, head tilted back: "How should we move them, Director Zhou? You direct."

"The truck is too high—people below can't catch the boxes." Zhou Andong pointed to the pickup: "Let's drive the pickup over, unload the boxes onto it first, then transfer them from the pickup to the ground."

"No problem!" Jiang Yunfeng nodded to the pickup driver: "Xiao Liu, drive the pickup over."

Xiao Liu turned, got in, and drove the pickup to beside the truck, stopping with precision.

Zhou Andong said: "Six people on the pickup, five more coming up from the truck."

Six people climbed onto the pickup, five onto the truck, one of them somewhat excited: "Director Zhou, I never thought I'd see you here."

Zhou Andong patted the young man's shoulder, then shook hands with a few others: "Thanks everyone—let's gather here after work tonight, and I'll treat you to dinner."

"No, no need!" Those on and off the truck waved their hands. A young man, not tall but solidly built, said: "Director Zhou, it's just moving a few boxes—no big deal. You don't need to be so formal."

"We'll talk about dinner later." Zhou Andong shouted down to Seeing Jian Qiu: "Honey, go buy a few packs of cigarettes."

"Okay!" Seeing Jian Qiu responded, then turned to the Audi driver: "Driver, please take me to a nearby store."

The driver nodded, turned, and opened the Audi's rear door. After Seeing Jian Qiu got in, he walked to the front and sat in the driver's seat.

"Come on!" Zhou Andong pulled Zhang Zuo aside and said to the hesitant young man: "We six people—two in the back, two on the left, two on the right. Everyone try—see if we can lift it."

Zhou Andong and one young man stood at the rear, the four others took their positions left and right, gripping the wooden frame's seams tightly, then Zhou Andong shouted: "One, two, three—lift!"

Six people exerted force simultaneously, the wooden box lifted—Zhou Andong felt its weight, but it was still manageable.

Zhou Andong asked: "How is it? No problem?"

"No problem!" the six replied in unison, one adding: "It's not as heavy as I imagined."

"Good!" Zhou Andong nodded: "Then let's first move the box to the edge of the truck bed."

Six people lifted the first box to the truck bed's edge. Zhou Andong looked at the six on the pickup: "You must be careful—if the box breaks, it's fine, but don't drop it on yourselves."

"No problem!" one person on the pickup said.

Twelve people coordinated to steadily unload the box onto the pickup, then the six on the pickup teamed up with the six on the ground to transfer the box to the earth.

With that experience, the remaining three boxes went quickly—unloaded in under half an hour.

At that moment, the Audi returned, Seeing Jian Qiu got out, and the driver rushed to the back, opened the trunk, and pulled out a box of Zhonghua cigarettes.

"Don't go anywhere!" Zhou Andong opened the box, took out a pack of cigarettes, and slipped it into a young man's pocket: "One pack each—come get yours."

"No, no!" the young man reacted as if burned, throwing the pack back into the box. If it were a single pack, he'd take it—but this was a whole carton, and he truly lacked the nerve to accept it.

Zhou Andong turned to Jiang Yunfeng: "Secretary Jiang, say something."

Jiang Yunfeng also felt awkward: Zhonghua cigarettes cost 15 yuan per pack—this whole carton, even if cheap, a single pack would be over 120 yuan—too expensive.

"Director Zhou, one pack per person is enough—this carton is too much."

Zhou Andong asked seriously: "Secretary Jiang, they helped me work—I'm giving them a pack of cigarettes as thanks. Does that count as bribery?"

Jiang Yunfeng hesitated, then said: "Well… I don't think so."

"Then it's settled!" Zhou Andong laughed, shoving cigarettes into people's pockets: "Take it, take it—Secretary Jiang said it's fine."

A crowd clung to their cigarettes, eyes fixed on Jiang Yunfeng—but no one spoke.

"Since it's Director Zhou thanking you, just take them." Jiang Yunfeng said helplessly: "I'll report to the leadership and file it."

Since Jiang Yunfeng spoke, no one refused—each took their cigarettes happily and walked off.

Zhou Andong then gave one pack to each driver, including the truck driver. Next, he took out four more packs and slipped them into Jiang Yunfeng's pocket: "You take two, the Provincial Governor takes two."

Jiang Yunfeng quickly said: "I'll pass on mine—I'll bring the leader's cigarettes up with me."

"Take them!" Zhou Andong handed the remaining packs to Tang Lin: "Keep them—we'll smoke them ourselves."

Zhang Zuo kept circling the boxes, unable to hold back: "Stop fussing—hurry up and find something to pry open the wooden frame. Let's see what's inside!"

"Exactly!" Jiang Yunfeng stopped refusing, holding his cigarettes: "Wait a moment—I'll go get a hammer and a crowbar."