Chapter 260: The Strongest Backing

In the Traffic Police Unit office, Lei Zhan Ge went to the bureau for a meeting and hasn't returned yet.

Lu Cheng sat in Lei Zhan Ge's chair, feeling around left and right, then casually pulled the drawer, but it wouldn't open; turning his head, he saw it was locked.

He couldn't help muttering in his mind, this is the Traffic Police Unit; thieves wouldn't come in, so who is the lock meant to keep out?

"Just wait, someday sooner or later, this seat will have to be given to me."

"Little Lei, pour me a glass of water… and bring me a newspaper…"

Just as Lu Cheng was happily sitting in the captain's chair muttering to himself, a steady, powerful footstep sounded from outside, and he hurriedly stood up.

Lei Zhan Ge entered the office and saw Lu Cheng at his desk: "What are you doing in here?"

"Oh, uh, I noticed your desk was a bit messy, so I thought I'd tidy it up." Lu Cheng symbolically picked up a few newspapers and began to sort them.

Lei Zhan Ge ignored him and, at the doorway, washed his face in a basin.

"Any progress on the snowplow project lately?"

Lu Cheng stepped forward: "It's going well; everything is progressing steadily."

Lei Zhan Ge straightened up, grabbed the towel with a hole, and gave Lu Cheng a glance.

"Going well? I heard you haven't been to the Research Institute lately."

Lu Cheng sighed helplessly; the people at the institute thought a junior police officer couldn't do research, and they all were quite hostile toward him.

Seeming to read Lu Cheng's mind, Lei Zhan Ge finished washing his face, hung the towel back on the wooden rack, and then walked to the desk chair and sat down.

"If you can't hold on, just come back; after all, R&D isn't really our duty, we just need to do our part well."

Lu Cheng sat opposite him: "Alright then, why don't you just promote me to sergeant, so I won't have to endure the popularity."

Lei Zhan Ge laughed: "That won't do; you don't have enough service years, and if I made you a sergeant outright, it'd be handing you a sword without merit."

"With you saying that, I definitely can't give up; I have to see the snowplow developed."

Lei Zhan Ge flicked out a cigarette: "You've got ambition. Speak up—did you run into a problem this time? Whatever our unit can support, we'll definitely give you a hand."

Hearing Lei Zhan Ge say that, Lu Cheng took the cigarette out of his mouth and said, "Actually, there is…"

Lu Cheng didn't bring up the subsidy first; instead, he detailed the work he'd been doing behind the scenes to Lei Zhan Ge.

Lei Zhan Ge listened, nodding straight; he had thought Lu Cheng hadn't done any work all month, but didn't expect him to have been secretly doing so much.

Not only did he set the snowplow R&D project as a university practicum, he also actively arranged personnel, sending people from the Metallurgical Bureau Research Institute and the One Machine Department to help, and most importantly secured a foreign journal.

None of those things were easy to accomplish.

Lei Zhan Ge exhaled a puff of smoke: "Kid, you have quite a network— even people from the Metallurgical Bureau and the One Machine Department will go help."

"Sigh, I was born with charisma, can get along anywhere; sometimes I also feel…"

"Alright, alright, don't go on."

Lei Zhan Ge wore a disdainful face: "They can't help for free, can they?"

Lu Cheng had been waiting for that line, quickly sitting upright: "Exactly, so I promised them that our bureau would grant a five‑yuan‑per‑day subsidy."

Hearing that, Lei Zhan Ge's eyes widened: "Huh, why do you always act first and report later? Did you discuss this with me?"

"I wasn't… I was just speaking quickly, thinking our bureau should be generous…"

Lei Zhan Ge snorted coldly: "Hmph, you call that generous—five yuan a day? You have no idea how many people, or how many months, that adds up to—thousands of yuan, and you just splash it away like water. Two yuan would have been fine, and you're already at five!"

Lu Cheng realized he had indeed given too much: "What do I do? I've already spoken this big promise out; I can't just take it back, or I'd lose face! Actually losing face isn't a big deal; in the end, it's your face that's being lost, sir."

"Hey, hey, stop pulling this onto me!"

Lei Zhan Ge shook his head helplessly: "Our bureau has barely gathered some funds by selling smuggled goods, hasn't even warmed up yet, and you swing your big hand so briskly."

Lu Cheng stood up: "Captain Lei, five yuan is a bit much, but I think as long as we can develop the snowplow and solve the locals' travel difficulties, the money is worth spending."

Lu Cheng knew Lei Zhan Ge's soft spot: "Captain Lei, think about it—each year snow closures block roads, hurting people's travel, and the Northeast is a heavy‑industry hub. Once a large snowplow solves the problem, transport efficiency will naturally rise; even a single extra national shipment would recoup the money."

That logic indeed held, and Lei Zhan Ge could only say, "Next time, remember to file a report in advance."

Seeing Lei Zhan Ge's approval, Lu Cheng straightened: "Yes, Captain Lei."

Lu Cheng left the office in high spirits; just as he reached the doorway, Lei Zhan Ge's voice came from behind.

"No need to worry, just go all out!"

Lu Cheng halted his steps; he knew the weight behind Lei Zhan Ge's words—no matter the difficulty, the entire Railway Bureau was his strongest backing.

……

"Kidnapping a child! Someone's kidnapping a child."

Da Hu perched in the locust tree saw Lu Cheng snatch his little sister and carry her away.

"Er Ya, call daddy."

Er Ya shook her head.

Lu Cheng pulled a candy from his pocket: "Call daddy and he'll give you a candy."

"Daddy."

"Hmm, very good."

Lu Cheng carried Er Ya into the Da Za Yuan; Sun Yan Hong was washing clothes by the pool: "Lu Cheng's back, have you eaten? I still have some rice left in my room."

"No need, my mother should have prepared it."

These days, Lu Cheng hasn't gone to her place for a massage, and Sun Yan Hong feels rather disappointed.

"Come on, Er Ya, let uncle go home for dinner."

Sun Yan Hong took the child, but Lu Cheng deliberately didn't let go; as he tugged, his arm unintentionally brushed her chest, causing the flustered Sun Yan Hong to give him a slap.

After entering Chuihua Gate, Zhao Daye emerged, hands behind his back.

"Zhao Daye, let's go for a walk."

"Ah."

Lu Cheng returned to the Main Hall: "Mom, is the rice ready?"

Chen Xianglan, folding the clothes, replied, "It's ready; we've all eaten, and I left some in the pot for you."

Lu Cheng responded with a sound, about to go to the kitchen, when Chen Xianglan called out again, "By the way, San'er, what has Qing Yan been busy with lately? She hasn't even eaten."

"Haven't eaten? I'll bring it over to her."

She must be busy translating journals; to meet the deadline she didn't sleep all night yesterday, and now she can't even find time to eat.

Lu Cheng carried the bowls and chopsticks to the West Wing Room, pushed open the door, and inside the bed, the wardrobe, and the desk were all piled with spread‑out magazines.