Chapter 1159: The Tiger's Smile, The Gun Held Upside Down

"Leader, something's happened—"

The command vehicle had just rolled into the office compound and hadn't even come to a full stop when they saw a crowd gathered in front of the Security Building.

Rarely taking initiative, Peng Peng Xiaoli opened the door for Li Li Xuewu himself, and this was his first words.

Li Li Xuewu had already received a brief report from Han Han Jiankun on the way, so he remained calm and composed now.

"Have the results of the crime scene investigation come out yet?"

He jumped down from the command vehicle, saluted Gu Gu Weijie, who was standing among the crowd, and greeted her: "Deputy Director Gu—"

"It's good that you're here; Director Li entrusted me to ensure full cooperation with your investigation."

Gu Gu Weijie shook Li Li Xuewu's hand with great seriousness, then gestured to the people present and said: "I hand over command to you."

"Thank you for the Management Committee's trust—"

Li Li Xuewu released her hand, saluted once more to express his gratitude.

Only three people could represent the Factory Party Committee at Red Star Factory: the Secretary, the Factory Director, and the Executive Deputy Secretary.

Now that Li Li Huai De served as Director of the Management Committee, it was equivalent to him holding both the Secretary and Factory Director positions simultaneously.

Thus, Gu Gu Weijie had become the other, and only other, primary person in charge at Red Star Factory.

Today was not Gu Gu Weijie's duty day, but given the situation, she still had to come and take command.

Li Li Xuewu's exchange with her was concise; he didn't immediately start talking about taking responsibility, admitting faults, or making any promises.

Who didn't know about the Security Department's Three Things Not to See: the tiger's smile, the gun held upside down, and the back compartment of a duty truck.

With Li Li Xuewu here, no matter how big the case was, it would definitely be investigated to the bottom.

"Report the basic details of the case."

"Yes, sir!"

Zhou Yao stepped forward, and after saluting, took the initiative to report the basic details of this malicious case.

As Chief of the Security Section, she was the primary person responsible for safety and security at Red Star Factory, and also the person in charge of this case.

If this had happened a year ago, she would inevitably have panicked and been at a loss.

But having experienced so much and grown so much, she had long forged a resilient will and confidence.

Facing leaders such as the First Deputy Head of the Security Group and the Deputy Director of the Factory Management Committee, Zhou Yao's tone was forceful and resolute.

"At around 9 o'clock this morning, the Factory Security Section received a notification from the Branch Bureau that a destroyed vehicle and four deceased persons were discovered on the road leading to the Mount Miyun mountain area, 20 kilometers from Dongcheng."

"The notification requested Red Star Factory to self-investigate whether any communication vehicles had gone out and not returned, or whether any staff members were missing."

Zhou Yao lifted her head, looked at Li Li Xuewu, and reported: "Upon receiving the cooperative investigation notice, the Security Section immediately organized an investigation and issued a factory-wide alert."

"Investigation confirmed that three employees from the Factory Engineering Department's Communications Section, including one driver, were scheduled to return to the factory for roll call last night but have been missing since."

Glancing at the report in her hand, she continued: "According to the preliminary plan, the Engineering Department dispatched one Hongxing Hongxing Lingyang engineering vehicle into the mountains early Saturday morning to maintain communication equipment."

"Since the maintenance duration was uncertain, the return time was to be determined by the communication maintenance team themselves."

"This is a loophole—"

Li Li Xuewu turned around, pointed at Lang Zhennan and Ao Ao Yuhua, and said: "From now on, all field missions must have a confirmed departure and return; anything reportable must be reported."

"This is a bloody lesson!"

Lang Zhennan, an indirect person responsible for this incident, nodded together with Ao Ao Yuhua, who was responsible for vehicle coordination.

In accordance with Deputy Director Gu's instructions, Li Li Xuewu was now the person in charge and overall commander of this case.

All orders issued by Li Li Xuewu were mandatory for them to execute.

This point was merely a conclusion and lesson drawn from the work report, but it was profound enough.

"After confirming that the characteristics of the missing personnel matched those of the deceased at the crime scene, the Security Section formed an investigation team and rushed to the site; around 11 o'clock this morning, the crime scene investigation materials were sent back to the Security Section."

Zhou Yao continued reporting: "Information returned from the scene indicates the vehicle was intentionally intercepted and deliberately destroyed; comrades from the Branch Bureau have confirmed the scene involves homicide."

"Comrade Wang Wang Yimin from the Security Section is still organizing the investigation into the specific process, though comrades from the Branch Bureau have provided support."

She glanced at Li Li Xuewu; seeing the leader nod, she proceeded to report the Branch Bureau's investigation conclusions.

"Judging by the situation at the crime scene, the vehicle appears to have been forcibly stopped; the occupants exited to check the situation and were ambushed; there are signs of confrontation and struggle at the scene."

Zhou Yao handed a stack of photos to Li Li Xuewu, pointing out features on them as she explained: "The front-seat passenger died in front of the vehicle, and the driver died by the bridge."

"As for the other two technical personnel, one died inside the vehicle, and the other died on the road while fleeing down toward the dam."

Pointing to the location where the front-seat passenger technician died, she explained: "Comrades from the Branch Bureau believe he was the first to exit the vehicle to check the situation and also the first to be ambushed."

"The characteristics are obvious; there are no significant signs of resistance or grappling, and the wound is U-shaped..."

"It's a tube-fork—"

Li Li Xuewu frowned, pointed at the wound on the front-seat passenger technician's body, and said: "This is a weapon most commonly used by hooligans."

"The Branch Bureau's notification aligns with our speculation, including regarding the fatal injuries of the other personnel."

Zhou Yao pointed to the back of the heart of the deceased lying prone by the bridge—the driver—noting it was also U-shaped.

"The driver's body has multiple wounds; before death, he engaged in combat and struggle with multiple people."

Pointing at the multiple wounds on the driver's body in the photo, Zhou Yao reported: "According to the crime scene investigation, the car keys are missing; they were likely thrown into the river by the driver."

"So the other party's intent was clearly robbery, right?"

Li Li Xuewu lifted his head, looked at Zhou Yao, and said: "They were specifically after the vehicle."

"That is our consideration; the comrades from the Branch Bureau have not yet made a final conclusion."

Zhou Yao nodded and reported: "Crime scene investigation confirms that money and valuables on all four deceased persons have been lost."

"Desperate and vicious criminals," Li Li Xuewu pointed at the photos and said: "Reckless and audacious; this fits the behavioral characteristics of those hooligans very well."

"These are photos of the third and fourth deceased persons, along with an assessment of the surrounding environment."

Opening the photo folder, Zhou Yao pointed at several photos and introduced: "This deceased person in the vehicle attempted to close the door to resist but failed, resulting in death from attacks on two sides."

"This deceased person who jumped out of the vehicle to flee was less than 50 meters away from the water's edge."

She lifted her head, looked at Li Li Xuewu, and reported: "We estimate that this gang consists of no fewer than five people."

"Our primary assessment is that they attempted to rob a vehicle by blocking the road, failed, and consequently committed murder and theft."

Zhou Yao closed the file, stood at attention, and said: "The main direction of our investigation is an organized gang of hooligans."

"I don't care who they are; if they dare to strike a covert blow against the Red Star Factory, they must be caught."

Li Li Xuewu pointed at Zhou Yao and ordered: "Deploy the entire Security Section and Guard Team, coordinate with the sub-bureau, conduct a city-wide sweep, and arrest and investigate immediately upon finding any clue."

"And furthermore—"

He looked at Zhou Yao and added: "I order the immediate arrest of Nie Nie Xiaoguang; he is a major suspect."

"Yes!"

Zhou Yao understood that whether or not Nie Nie Xiaoguang had involved himself in this case, this was the best opportunity to arrest him.

Even if Nie Nie Xiaoguang had not participated in this incident, he was by no means wrongly accused.

Regarding several incidents that occurred at the Red Star Factory some time ago, investigations by the Security Section revealed his involvement in all of them.

Therefore, Li Li Xuewu was very adept at judging the moment, using this opportunity to settle accounts with that brat.

It was like cutting grass and catching a rabbit; since something had happened at the Red Star Factory, anyone with suspicion could be brought back for interrogation.

This case was not the same as those brawls in the city; it would inevitably be dealt with severely.

As Li Li Xuewu's orders were issued, the Security Department immediately sprang into action.

One Hongxing Hongxing Lingyang after another, along with Sabre-Tooth Tigers, drove out of the Red Star Factory, followed by armed duty vehicles heading to Dongcheng, ready to support the arrests at any moment.

Li Li Xuewu stood in the factory office area, watching Zhou Yao lead her team away, before turning around to look at Gu Gu Weijie.

The relevant personnel had already dispersed, acting separately according to Li Li Xuewu's deployment.

Since today was Sunday, the main force consisted of the Security Department, while other departments and offices relied primarily on duty staff.

No one expected that on a duty day which should have been smooth and uneventful, such a major case would occur.

Although the case did not happen within the factory and was not a production liability, there was still a certain degree of management responsibility.

Of course, loopholes in the system were unrelated to specific individuals, but plugging those gaps certainly concerned them.

Ao Ao Yuhua and Lang Zhennan, who had been summoned, felt helpless, yet what could be done since the incident had occurred?

Today was Sunday and tomorrow Monday; regardless of whether the Security Department solved this case, they would have to report to Director Li.

By then, they would need to present a concrete plan to remedy the situation after the loss, otherwise, they would truly face a scolding.

Limited by the backward communications and complex traffic conditions of this era, dispatched business trips and field duties suffered from great uncertainty and a lack of constraints.

Even with telephones and telegrams, loopholes and shortcomings still appeared in actual work.

Effects achievable in later generations by simply sending a message on a mobile phone required, at this time, running two li away.

Just think about it; even vehicle-mounted radios could fail in the mountains, making it extremely difficult to maintain communication.

This was also the main reason Li Li Xuewu reminded them to plug the gaps rather than holding them accountable.

Of course, this was the communications maintenance team; they possessed the richest communication resources.

Before descending the mountain, they could have completely reported to the factory, stating when they were coming down and when they expected to report for duty at the factory.

But as a result, those below the mountain knew people had gone up, and those on the mountain knew people had come down, yet no one knew where they had been in between.

If someone had not discovered the scene and voluntarily run to the village below the dam to call the police, the matter of the missing persons might not have been known until Monday.

Coincidentally, the crime scene was exactly the location where Li Li Xuewu had jumped into the river to save people during the winter of the year before last.

Back then, several children were playing on the ice, and he had jumped into the river to rescue them onto the shore.

The last one was a girl; the two of them had nearly died within the ice layer.

Of course, if you called it a coincidence, it was actually not so coincidental.

Because coming down from the Mount Miyun mountainous area, the last narrow section before entering the city was right there.

Once past that river and across that bridge, the main road grew wider and the population denser.

Look at how the area around the Four-Nine City in later generations was filled with people all the way to the foot of the mountains, but at this time, it was not.

It could not be called desolate, but it was no different from an ordinary rural area; villages were far apart, with lights visible at night but essentially no contact during the day.

Especially since household registration and personnel management were strict at this time, the crime scene was determined to have occurred around eight or nine o'clock at night, yet it was not discovered and reported until twelve hours later.

It was uncertain whether anyone had passed the crime scene during that period, but it was certain that very few people traveled through here.

This precisely indicated that the perpetrators' implementation of the robbery here was premeditated and organized.

They had surveyed the scene beforehand, fully utilizing the environment on both sides of the dam to set up an ambush and concealment.

If, as Zhou Yao said, the number exceeded five people, this would constitute a major case of gang crime.

Twelve hours passed before discovery, and adding the investigation time up to the present moment, more than sixteen hours had already elapsed.

If these little brats had prepared sufficient backup plans and fled quickly, they would have had enough time to run south or north.

However, Li Li Xuewu was not anxious; solving this case would not be difficult—it was crimes of passion that were hard to solve.

You might think a crime of passion is simple, with perhaps only one or two culprits, so just catch them.

That is completely wrong; by comparison, premeditated crime is the easiest to solve and the easiest for catching perpetrators.

As long as there is premeditation, there will be traces; the more people involved, the more clues left behind, and thus the more flaws exposed.

It could even be as simple as coordinating with the sub-bureau to check which hooligans have gone missing in each district; one check would hit the mark.

In a crime of passion, the culprit could act as if nothing happened, stroll home, and perhaps even buy some vegetables along the way.

Regarding scene investigation, they could even watch the commotion while pretending to be out buying soy sauce.

However, it was foreseeable that organized crime possessed greater destructiveness and uncertainty than crimes of passion.

Therefore, for every incident that occurred, the perpetrators must be crushed; allowing these people to escape justice was absolutely not permitted.

"If the case can be solved in the shortest time possible, that would be best; if not..."

Gu Gu Weijie hesitated for a moment, then continued: "It would be best to produce a conclusive report."

"I still have confidence in the Security Department; please rest assured."

Li Li Xuewu knew Gu Gu Weijie was looking out for him, trying to prevent Li Li Huai De from making trouble over this matter.

At this moment, such an incident was unexpected for Li Li Xuewu—accidental, yet inevitable.

The Red Star Factory had seen multiple cases of staff involvement in brawls and fights.

The Security Department had been stretched thin, struggling to respond, with work severely lagging behind and no prevention of such incidents.

Their attention was fixed on the factory grounds and the main residential areas for staff, but they had relaxed security for external transportation.

Just consider that external duty vehicle—there wasn't even a single security officer on it, not a single heat weapon.

If responsibility were truly pursued, Li Li Xuewu would inevitably become the first person under investigation by the Factory Management Committee.

During this period, rumors had already spread that Director Li intended to restructure the organization of all mid-level and higher cadres.

Li Li Xuewu's faction would certainly be a key target of this adjustment.

The fact that Li Li Xuewu's original responsibilities—tertiary industry and joint trade—were already being steadily handed over proves it.

Although his coordination duties covered a broader scope, they also made him more dependent on Li Li Huai De.

Neither a promotion nor a demotion would be appropriate—it was clear Director Li was serious.

Every person and every organizational affiliation at the Red Star Factory lay within his purview, subject to adjustment.

The fact that Director Li did not come himself, but sent Gu Gu Weijie instead, spoke volumes.

No matter how Li Li Xuewu handles this case, it will not affect Li Li Huai De's move against him.

Yes, Old Li and Li Li Xuewu still have a good personal relationship, but that's private.

In professional terms, Li Li Huai De has grown increasingly trusting of Li Li Xuewu and supports him taking on more management duties.

Yet at the same time, he is slowly stripping Li Li Xuewu of his concrete operational authority.

During this process, if Li Li Xuewu makes a major mistake, it could accelerate this change and give Li Li Huai De ample justification to overhaul the factory's safety management system.

The Factory Security Office and Security Teams have essentially entered the post-Li Li Xuewu era.

Through the joint efforts of Dong Wenxue and Li Li Xuewu, the Security Office had become an excellent security force.

The stronger the foundation below, the easier it is to replace management—now it just needs an opportunity.

Li Li Huai De's absence was precisely to observe the reactions and attitudes of all sides.

Moving Li Li Xuewu—whether promotion, demotion, or lateral transfer—touches the interests of many people.

The stronger the resistance, the less likely coordination is; the weaker the resistance, the clearer the timing has arrived.

Li Li Xuewu himself understood this trend and change; Li Li Huai De was no scheming villain.

He had already explained the logic to Li Li Xuewu: to gain broader development space, he must step out of the security circle.

Everyone understood which step Li Li Xuewu would take, but not everyone wanted him to take it—even Li Li Xuewu himself was waiting for the right moment.

One wrong step leads to a cascade of errors; not everyone has the courage and determination to start over.

This isn't a save-game; you can't just say "replay" and restart.

Gu Gu Weijie, nominally the third in command, was in reality the second, and her position in the factory was delicate.

She primarily handled organization, propaganda, and personnel work, but personnel work was also an area Li Li Huai De closely monitored.

Organizational work was abstract; propaganda work, though not entirely abstract, involved minimal operational workload.

Thus, to achieve results, she had to break through in personnel work—precisely the point of conflict with Li Li Huai De.

With Dong Wenxue supporting her externally and Li Li Xuewu communicating for her internally, her balance with Li Li Huai De was extremely delicate.

The focus now rests entirely on Li Li Xuewu—at this very moment, this critical juncture.

If Li Li Xuewu loses power, loses his crucial position in the Security Team, and loses his influence over the factory, it would be an irreversible loss for her.

Her balance with Li Li Huai De would collapse; without the Security Team's support, she would be forced to increase pressure and attention on personnel work.

What Gu Gu Weijie gains, Li Li Huai De must lose—this will inevitably intensify their conflict.

If it were only a matter of the Security Team versus personnel work, coordination would be easier.

But the situation is more complex, because Li Li Xuewu is also tied to tertiary industry and joint trade.

Cheng Kaiyuan's management scope appears to be expanding into all production-related areas.

Yet even Cheng Kaiyuan himself knew it wasn't him managing production—it was the Production Management Office managing production.

Although he was the chief leader of the Production Management Office, the authority and relationships involved were extremely complex.

The team leader of the Production Team, Kuang Kuang Yusheng, was a senior comrade with deep experience; he would inevitably hold one of the future deputy factory director positions overseeing production—this was tradition, and also a trend.

Yet even this senior comrade, Cheng Kaiyuan still had doubts about how much he could enforce his orders upon.

Put more bluntly: right now, in Kuang Kuang Yusheng's eyes, Cheng Kaiyuan's words might not carry as much weight as Li Li Xuewu's.

Especially since Li Li Xuewu became Deputy Director of the Office and took charge of organizational coordination, this situation had grown worse.

Currently, Li Li Xuewu knows he must move, but is waiting for the right moment to act.

Others, driven by their own interests and entanglements, are pulling him—urging him to move sooner or to stay put.

Unconsciously, he had become the most critical node in the Red Star Factory's organizational ecology.

Even his job transfer and division of duties had become a decision the factory leadership approached with extreme caution.

Gu Gu Weijie stayed behind for one simple reason: to remind Li Li Xuewu that even if he must move, he must not move because of this case.

This case must land smoothly, without affecting Li Li Xuewu's future trajectory.

It's simple logic: at this point, Li Li Xuewu will either advance or be transferred laterally.

Either outcome was already anticipated by Li Li Xuewu and could be handled calmly.

But if the case triggers an uncontrollable situation—or if dissent emerges at the Factory Management Committee—it will impact his future.

Whether Li Li Xuewu advances or undergoes a transitional lateral transfer, all factory leaders must recognize and approve his work.

That is, unanimous approval at the organizational meeting—this is crucial for the young Li Li Xuewu.

This way of putting it, others might not understand the serious implications, but readers within the organization certainly do.

The more a cadre is rapidly promoted and elevated, the more they need a solid reputation and broad recognition.

From the very first promotion, dissenting voices appeared, and these voices will grow louder and more resonant with his progress and any mistakes in his work.

In the end, at some critical juncture, they will become the bottomless pit from which he can never recover.

Old Li is scheming against Li Li Xuewu's faction, but he has still been quite righteous toward Li Li Xuewu himself.

He could have promoted Li Li Xuewu into the management committee right when it was first established last year, but he did not do so.

Everyone understands the principle of pulling up seedlings to help them grow, everyone has heard the story of Zhong Yong the prodigy wasted — he wanted to cultivate Li Li Xuewu, not destroy him.

Besides, Li Li Xuewu is no fool, and Dong Wenxue is even less of a fool — they would never let him run wild.

Therefore, Li Li Xuewu now has the substance of a deputy director of the management committee, but not the title.

Li Li Huai De is training and cultivating him, yet he has also left him some margin and room to grow.

Speedy advancement is forever a synonym for a hollow foundation, the fork in the road leading to the professional guillotine.

Every step Li Li Xuewu takes must be the result of outstanding achievement and the expectation of the masses.

Therefore, Li Li Huai De is being cautious, Gu Gu Weijie is offering reminders, and the other factory leaders are watching from the sidelines.

The case itself has never been the focus of the factory leadership's attention — what truly matters are the relationships and repercussions it stirs up behind the scenes.

After giving Gu Gu Weijie a clear statement of his position, Li Li Xuewu had already raised his vigilance to the fullest twelve parts.

He invited Gu Gu Weijie to the office — a cup of tea, a slow conversation, a slow wait.

In ancient times, Director Guan Yu slew Hua Xiong while his wine was still warm; today, Li Li Xuewu cracks a major case over hot tea.

Lunch was prepared by the cafeteria duty staff; Peng Peng Xiaoli brought back boxed meals for Li Li Xuewu and Gu Gu Weijie.

Li Li Xuewu's office is not the first command room, yet it is the reporting center for case developments.

From the moment Zhou Yao received his order and took his command car to rush to the East City to carry out the work, every progress of the case was transmitted back to the factory by radio.

The investigation team left behind at the factory would immediately organize and coordinate the inquiry, analyze the case, and provide feedback.

And the investigative approach and feedback would also be reported in the form of a report to Li Li Xuewu on the third floor.

Li Li Xuewu was certain that this case would yield results today, so he did not even plan to go home, choosing instead to sit here and wait.

His attitude toward Gu Gu Weijie was the same — since I have made you a guarantee, I invite you to come and wait together.

At the latest by quitting time, before six in the evening, counts as one checkpoint.

If the matter can be thoroughly investigated before six, that is one thing; if after six, or before tomorrow morning's shift, no concrete situation has been uncovered, that is quite another.

Now, although Li Li Xuewu has not spoken of gambling, it is already a gamble.

Li Li Xuewu's stake is large — the entire security section has been mobilized, and the frequency of investigation results and intelligence feedback coming in is growing faster and faster.

Just as he and Gu Gu Weijie finished their lunch, drank a cup of tea, and were briefly catching up on news, Peng Peng Xiaoli came up to report that the first target, Nie Nie Xiaoguang, had been brought in.

"Oh, this is an old friend—"

Li Li Xuewu rubbed his fingers together, looked at Gu Gu Weijie and said: "I am actually very reluctant to hear news of his involvement, especially since it brings to mind Comrade Nie Nie Chenglin."

Although Nie Nie Chenglin no longer holds the position of deputy factory director, in organizational documents he is still addressed as Comrade.

This is Li Li Huai De's attitude, and also Li Li Huai De's bottom line.

Of course, this bottom line is not entirely Li Li Huai De's own level of consciousness—it is also the unanimous attitude of the factory leadership.

The transformation of Red Star Factory did not go through too many storms; it was advanced, victorious, and positive.

Therefore, when dealing with the people behind these victories, Li Li Huai De inevitably found himself hamstrung.

Unlike other factories, he could not launch personal attacks against Yang Yang Fengshan, Yang Yang Yuansong, and Nie Nie Chenglin.

Hence the outcome: Yang Yang Fengshan quietly faded from view, Yang Yang Yuansong fled to Chang'an, Nie Nie Chenglin was sent to labor in Yingcheng, and Xiong Xiong Bencheng feigned illness and stayed home.

The victor becomes king and the loser a bandit — it has always been so; otherwise one would simply be out of touch with the times.

Nie Nie Chenglin is the only one, and so far the only one, who after losing his leadership post has been sent to do labor.

According to feedback from the labor team, he had been injured twice, but both had healed; it was only the conditions that limited him, leaving his health somewhat poor.

This much could be anticipated — Li Li Xuewu had seen it on the road to Yingcheng.

He was already not young, and added to that the physical labor of the front line — how could someone who had sat in an office for years possibly bear it?

Still, each person has his own fate; such is his temperament, such is his destiny.

If Nie Nie Chenglin had shown some flexibility toward Li Li Huai De during the transformation — like Cheng Kaiyuan, who could bend and stretch, or like Xue Xue Zhifu, who knew how to protect himself — he would not have come to this pass today.

Even being like Xiang Xiang Jingyu, with his gaze and purpose clearly fixed on work achievements alone, would have been enough.

One can only say that Nie Nie Chenglin reaching this point today is his own fault — blind, following the wrong person, choosing the wrong road.

There is one more crucial factor: his utter failure as a father.

His lax management of Nie Nie Xiaoguang, who kept creating trouble for Li Li Huai De — this thorn Li Li Huai De is sure to remember.

Although he would not resort to underhanded moves, having this attitude is enough.

Don't forget that the third deputy director of the management office, Shi Shi Ruoweng, is still in the labor team representing the organs to support production.

That bastard may not be able to outfight Li Li Xuewu, but stirring up trouble and playing the agitator is more than within his capacity.

Toward Nie Nie Chenglin, Li Li Xuewu has one attitude; toward Nie Nie Xiaoguang, he has another.

Although they are father and son, in his eyes one is an old comrade of the factory, the other a bad boy skirting the edges of the law.

Never mind that Nie Nie Chenglin is suffering in the labor team — even if he were still in the deputy factory director's seat, if Nie Nie Xiaoguang dared to lay a hand on a Red Star Factory worker, he would not be let off.

But he also knew very clearly in his heart that this matter was most likely unrelated to the other party.

Yet this did not stop Li Li Xuewu from using him as a breakthrough point.

Compared to the gangs of rogues and veterans, a scoundrel like Nie Nie Xiaoguang has better intelligence on both sides.

The person who knows you well is not necessarily a friend, but is certainly an enemy.

Therefore, the moment Li Li Xuewu heard that Nie Nie Xiaoguang had been brought in, he prepared to go down in person to meet him.

Clearly, Gu Gu Weijie had no such intention, as she did not pick up Li Li Xuewu's thread of conversation.

Even if Nie Nie Xiaoguang was the one who committed the crime, it was not worth Gu Gu Weijie going down to interrogate him.

So, he asked Gu Gu Weijie to wait upstairs, stood up, and led Peng Peng Xiaoli downstairs.

On the first floor of the Security Building, at the end of the long corridor, were the detention room and interrogation room of the Security Section.

After Nie Nie Xiaoguang was brought over with his head covered, he was placed in the interrogation room.

When Li Li Xuewu found the interrogation room, pushed the door open, and entered, Nie Nie Xiaoguang was already handcuffed to the table with both hands, sitting in the iron interrogation chair.

"Director Li, Deputy Director Li, I am innocent!"

"Be quiet!"

Wang Wang Yimin slapped the table, pointed at Nie Nie Xiaoguang, and shouted, "Did I tell you to speak?"

"Has the scene been handled?"

Li Li Xuewu ignored Nie Nie Xiaoguang, who wanted to speak and looked full of defiance, and instead asked Wang Wang Yimin, who was in charge of the scene investigation.

This was the first time he had gone on a security escort mission with his master, and Han Zhan was also accompanying them.

Han Zhan currently serves as the Director of the Steel City Security Section, a positive section-level rank.

Do not mention such confusion of appointment levels again; within the enterprise, this is how it is. The ranks in the branch factory are lower, but the organizational departments are complete, so this kind of confusion in titles will occur.

A post is a post, a professional title is a professional title, and a rank is a rank; they are completely different things.

Dong Wenxue is the director of the branch factory, Li Huai is the director of the main factory, and the Hongxing Factory also has an office director; they are all called directors, but they are not the same thing.

Wang Wang Yimin was considered an experienced old comrade; otherwise, he would not have been selected by Li Li Xuewu to partner with Zhou Yao.

"The site investigation report does not differ much from the branch bureau's; it's just that we are more familiar with the internal situation."

Wang Wang Yimin reported, "We have done our best to perfect and reconstruct the circumstances of the incident at the crime scene."

"We prepared the report together with the branch bureau, and it has already been sent to Li Kezhang Zhou."

While reporting this, he handed over a document from his side; clearly, it was the copy of the investigation report he mentioned.

"Has the target been locked down?"

While looking at the document, Li Li Xuewu asked Wang Wang Yimin, "An hour ago, Zhou Yao said there were some leads."

"Yes, the branch bureau side is already coordinating investigations across all districts; the situation is still being summarized and analyzed."

Wang Wang Yimin explained, "At this time, those unstable factors are most active; it is difficult to determine their specific locations, and even harder to investigate their experiences from last night."

"Hmm, no rush; investigate slowly. The progress is already very fast."

After finishing the investigation report in his hand, Li Li Xuewu had a clearer understanding of the case.

It was indeed possible that Nie Nie Xiaoguang was misunderstood; at least, this kid could not have organized the strength of five or six people.

If he really had that strength, he would not have targeted the Hongxing Factory's car; the target should have been Li Huai.

Perhaps it was to prevent such a situation from happening that Li Huai did not show up.

However, whether there are dates or not, one must strike three times with the pole; Li Li Xuewu did not think Nie Nie Xiaoguang was a good kid.

He put down the document in his hand, and in Nie Nie Xiaoguang's panicked gaze, reached back and pulled out the M1911 pistol stuck in the holster on his waist.

And just as Li Li Xuewu, holding the pistol by the barrel and inverted, walked toward him, Nie Nie Xiaoguang was truly terrified into paralysis.

The Security Section has three things one must not see: one must not see the smile of the Security Section's Tiger, one must not see an inverted pistol, and one must not be caught in the back of a truck.

He had already experienced the back of a truck on his way here; he dared not experience this inverted pistol!

"It really wasn't me!"

Nie Nie Xiaoguang, disregarding Wang Wang Yimin's recent reminder and warning, hurriedly shouted before Li Li Xuewu got close: "I have an eyewitness!"

Li Li Xuewu did not believe his eyewitness; what decent person would be with a bad kid at eight or nine o'clock at night?

Who would believe testimony from someone like that?

"I am telling the truth! At that time, I was fighting, at Houyong Jinyu Hutong behind Xinqiao in the northeast of the city!"

Seeing that Li Li Xuewu meant business, Nie Nie Xiaoguang, disregarding everything, shouted loudly: "There were more than ten of us, and more than ten on the other side; all these people can testify for me!"

"What time, and who was there?"

Li Li Xuewu finally spoke up to ask, and the fingers gripping the barrel of the gun loosened; he no longer looked like he was about to exert force.

"I know what you want to ask; it's just around eight or nine o'clock, right? I guarantee I was not there!"

Nie Nie Xiaoguang explained very seriously: "It wasn't dark yet when Zhang Wang Jianguo sent Jinyu Hutong Qin Laoer to find me, saying to go block Ma San; that kid was asking for death for ruining Qin Laoer's sister."

"Speak clearly—"

Li Li Xuewu tapped the small table board in front of him with the pistol, reminding him, "Don't speak your slang!"

"... Yes—"

Nie Nie Xiaoguang's nose was almost twisted with anger; did you not understand what I was saying?

Half of this slang was concocted by you old tough guys and big brothers back in the day!

Now you are pretending to be pure in front of me!

Forget it, forget it; force is stronger than man, man is the knife and cutting board, and I am the fish and meat; who else could I have fallen into Li Li Erbala's hands?

There was no choice; he could only avoid using slang and confess honestly.

"Qin Laoer's sister has no job and does housework at home; when she was washing clothes, Ma Er saw her and forced... you know what, right?"

Nie Nie Xiaoguang wanted to lift his head to steal a glance at Li Li Xuewu, but as soon as he finished speaking, he saw the pistol tap the table board again.

Fine, say less nonsense; I understand, I understand everything!

"Qin Laoer wanted to avenge his sister, found Zhang Wang Jianguo, and Zhang Wang Jianguo called us to join."

He chattered on: "We had been lying in wait at Houyong Jinyu Hutong behind Xinqiao since before dark yesterday."

"Ma Er must have heard the commotion and called many people from his family; Zhang Wang Jianguo said to wait, and we waited until past nine."

Nie Nie Xiaoguang lifted his head, looking at Li Li Xuewu with grievance: "What I said is true; after nine, Ma Er's family still would not disperse; Zhang Wang Jianguo could not wait any longer, so he led us to charge in. We crippled Ma Er, and he is now lying in the hospital."

"What does 'ruined' mean?"

Wang Wang Yimin tapped the table and asked, "Dead or seriously injured?"

"Right down below..." Nie Nie Xiaoguang grimaced as he spoke, mimicking a sound effect, "Kai! What a pity. The Emperor is gone; he was the last eunuch."

"Deputy Director Li, your insight is sharp!"

Nie Nie Xiaoguang knew who held the most power in the room and whose words carried the most weight. He looked at Li Li Xuewu and said helplessly, "I can't possibly have a clone technique to fight two battles at once."

"Yes, yes, yes. You suspect me, and that is not wrong. I did intend to retaliate against the Rolling Mill," he explained proactively. "But you should know, my target is Li Huai De. What does that have to do with ordinary workers?"

"Watch your language—"

Wang Wang Yimin pointed at him and frowned, reminding him, "If you don't know how to speak, I will teach you how to speak."

"I know. This case shouldn't be you."

Li Li Xuewu ignored Wang Wang Yimin's warning. Instead, he looked at Nie Nie Xiaoguang with trust and nodded, saying, "With your temperament, you wouldn't strike a black hand against your own brothers and sisters."

"You understand me—"

Nie Nie Xiaoguang wore an expression as if he had found his organization and met his kin, speaking as though his long-standing grievance had been cleared: "Even if I am a bastard, I wouldn't smash my own rice bowl, would I?"

"I hate Li Huai De, but I don't hate Hongxing Factory. Hongxing Factory supports my entire family."

"Fine. You're a man. You see things clearly."

Li Li Xuewu nodded with feigned worldly flair, stroking the fur in the direction it lay, and instructed Wang Wang Yimin, "Check what he said. See if this really happened last night."

After giving the order, he spoke to Nie Nie Xiaoguang again: "Someone died in the factory. You must know. This matter is heinous."

He spoke very seriously: "Just as you said, whoever dares to smash our rice bowl and bully our brothers and sisters, I will make them pay with blood for blood."

Having finished speaking, he turned and walked out, simultaneously instructing Wang Wang Yimin, who followed him out: "Once the investigation is clear, let him go."

"Li Ge!" Li Li Xuewu had just finished speaking, his foot not yet stepping out of the interrogation room, when Nie Nie Xiaoguang's voice came from behind, "I can help!"

"Not for Li Huai De, but for Hongxing Factory." Seeing Li Li Xuewu turn around and look at him in surprise, he bit his lip, paused for a moment, and then said, "And also for my father."

"Do you know who did it?"

Li Li Xuewu sized him up and asked, "Or does it have some connection to you?"

This question was not stupid; it was not meant to deny what Nie Nie Xiaoguang had said earlier, but to guard against him seeking revenge.

"Some time ago, Wei Guo beat me. He chased me to my house and beat me," he introduced through gritted teeth. "For this period, I have been watching him, looking for a chance to get even."

"You don't need an introduction to Wei Guo; you must know him very well."

Nie Nie Xiaoguang glanced at Li Li Xuewu and said, "He is playing big now. He must have over ten people under his hand. Those he plays with often and is close with must number five or six."

"If you don't believe what I say, you can investigate. They have likely fled by now."

He raised his eyebrows and said, "The day before yesterday, a few of them were bragging, saying they were going to get a brand-new Hongxing Hongxing Lingyang car..."

"Notify Zhou Yao. Arrest Wei Guo immediately!"