Chapter 185: Money and Beauty Offensives

"Which department are you from? We don't accept outside guests here. You need an introduction letter to stay, and besides, why are you here so early?"

Li Xuewu was wearing his military overcoat to work, so the woman on duty didn't recognize his uniform.

Li Xuewu frowned and asked, "I'm Li Xuewu from the Security Section. The Party Secretary from Hongxing Commune stayed here last night, right? Which room?"

"What Secretary? There's no such person here."

"How is that possible? Check again. He arrived yesterday afternoon. He should be registered under Yin Mancang."

"Ah, you mean that hillb—" The woman was about to say something, but Li Xuewu glared her into silence.

The woman tugged at the uniform draped over her shoulders, licked her finger to flip a page in the registry, and said irritably, "203."

After saying this, she slammed the registry shut and turned back inside, muttering under her breath, "What's so great about the Security Section? Just a little brat."

*Bang! * She slammed the duty room door shut.

A vein throbbed on Li Xuewu's forehead. Just then, Yin Mancang came downstairs fully dressed. Seeing Li Xuewu fuming, he pulled him aside.

"Let's go. I'm all packed. Just take me to the bus station; no need to trouble the factory to send me."

Li Xuewu looked at Yin Mancang, who was shivering slightly from the cold, and asked, "Didn't they turn on the heat in the room?"

"Hah, when I arrived last night, that woman who just spoke to you told me to go upstairs. I couldn't find it, so I asked her to point the way, and well... sigh."

"The toilet in the room was locked, and the public restroom drain was clogged. The smell... forget it. You can't afford to offend them. The guy staying in the same room told me that woman is the sister-in-law of the guesthouse director."

It turned out that every room in the guesthouse originally had a bathroom, but because the workers found them too much trouble to clean, they were all locked up. They had set up a public restroom instead, but whether it was poorly renovated or not, it reeked—the very smell Li Xuewu had encountered upon entering.

Just as Yin Mancang finished speaking, a fat man in his forties walked out of the door next to the front desk. He hurried toward Li Xuewu, reaching out a hand as he said, "It's Li Ke! Wang Yumei just told me you were here. I've been negligent. Is this your relative?"

The woman who had just scolded Li Xuewu had gone back inside to tell her brother-in-law that a "little brat" named Li Xuewu from the Security Section had come by, acting all high and mighty.

Guesthouse Director Huang Ping hadn't paid much mind to the Security Section at first, as they had little to do with the guesthouse. But when he realized his sister-in-law was surprised, he asked again who from the Security Section it was. When she repeated the name, Huang Ping was so terrified he kicked his sister-in-law and scrambled to pull up his pants and run outside.

This "God of Death" had actually come, and his sister-in-law had even scolded him.

"Who are you?" Li Xuewu asked, looking at the ruddy-faced fat man whose shirt tail was poking out from his unzipped fly.

Li Xuewu had been working at the Rolling Steel Factory for less than half a month and hadn't recognized everyone in every department yet.

"I'm Huang Ping, the director of the guesthouse. Wang Yumei has a loose mouth; please forgive the offense. I've already reprimanded her."

The woman who had scolded Li Xuewu stood at the duty room door, watching them, smiling awkwardly when Li Xuewu looked her way.

She realized that if her brother-in-law had to adopt such a fawning attitude, this couldn't be anyone simple.

Li Xuewu looked at Huang Ping with a smile that felt like a mockery. "So you're the guesthouse director. Your guesthouse is certainly something, heh. Your staff has a loose mouth, the front desk has no gatekeeper, and even you, Director, have an 'open door' policy—literally. Heh."

Hearing Li Xuewu's sarcasm, Wang Yumei wasn't having it. She was used to being sharp-tongued and had always acted like a tyrant in her little corner of the guesthouse.

"Hey, Li Ke, you can't talk like that. This is our work system. We serve the people by standing our post at the guesthouse."

She walked forward a few steps, leaning her elbows on the front desk as she continued, "We don't fawn over people just because they're well-dressed or high-status, and we don't ignore people just because they're ragged or low-status. I don't know about others, but I, Wang Yumei, don't eat soft or hard tactics."

Li Xuewu's smile became even more mocking.

"Don't eat soft or hard tactics? I'm afraid you're used to eating the 'hard' until it goes soft."

*Don't laugh, don't laugh, * Huang Ping's heart hammered.

Li Xuewu's name had been spreading like wildfire in the Security Section recently. They all called him a "smiling tiger." Seeing him today, it was true—that smile looked like he was about to eat someone. Huang Ping followed Li Xuewu's gaze and saw his own fly was unzipped. He tried to pull it up, but his shirt tail was caught in the zipper, and no matter how he tugged, it wouldn't budge.

Li Xuewu said to Yin Mancang, "Secretary Yin, I've arranged a car to take you back. Let's go."

He led Yin Mancang away. Huang Ping shouted after them, "Li Ke, let me see you off!"

Huang Ping was terrified; he hadn't realized this "hillbilly" was actually a Party Secretary. He wanted to see them off, but the two were already out the door.

It was no wonder they called Yin Mancang a hillbilly. Even though he had changed clothes to come out, he wore an ill-fitting gray Zhongshan suit, a pair of faded, patched trousers, and cloth shoes.

To the eyes of those in the mountains, he looked like an old man.

Wang Yumei walked up to her brother-in-law and said, "He's just some village secretary. What's so impressive about him? And what's so scary about that little brat?"

Wang Yumei didn't know about the things happening outside. Huang Ping, however, did. He paced anxiously in the lobby. Seeing his sister-in-law still talking, he scolded, "You don't know anything! That's a God of Death. He killed countless people in the south and sent so many to prison after he came back. They say he's the reincarnation of a God of Death who eats people!"

"Pfft," Wang Yumei scoffed at her brother-in-law. "I don't know anything? Or maybe I know *two* things. He's just a little brat. 'God of Death'? How can you be so superstitious, worshipping those weird things in secret?"

Huang Ping cursed, "You're just short-sighted. The higher the rank, the more they believe in this stuff. I'm going to die because of you sooner or later."

Wang Yumei still hadn't realized the danger and even had the heart to joke, "If I die, I'll die on your belly. Come on, let's continue."

"Get the hell out of here!" Huang Ping grabbed his coat from the duty room and ran out.

Li Xuewu led Yin Mancang to the vehicle pool. He found the duty shift leader and explained that Deputy Factory Director Li had arranged for a jeep to take the guest back.

The shift leader didn't make things difficult, even though Li Xuewu didn't have a vehicle dispatch slip. He knew who Li Xuewu was—he'd helped them clear snow last time—so he made a quick call to the Factory Office to confirm and dispatched the car.

Yin Mancang was in a hurry to get back to the village and didn't even have time to see his son, Yin Qun.

As Li Xuewu helped Yin Mancang into the car, he said, "I'm sorry, Uncle. If I'd known our factory guesthouse was in such a state, I would have taken you to stay at my place. Next time, next time you come, I'll make it up to you."

Yin Mancang smiled, closed the car door, and rolled down the window. "Let's not talk about that, you and I. Getting the job done is what matters. This trip wasn't in vain. You go get busy; I'm heading back."

After saying this, he told the driver, "Sorry for the trouble. Let's go."

After seeing Yin Mancang off, Li Xuewu looked at the fat man running over from the guesthouse. There were some things he couldn't say before they were done, so he hadn't told Yin Mancang anything about dealing with the fat man.

He stubbed out his cigarette, tossed it in the trash, and headed to the auxiliary building, leaving Huang Ping stomping his feet in the distance.

As soon as he reached the office, an HR clerk brought Yan Jiecheng over. Li Xuewu didn't say much; he pushed open the Security Section office door and told Han Zhan, who was talking to Xu Ning, to take the man back.

Xu Ning, Han Zhan, and the others stood up to salute and greet Li Xuewu. Li Xuewu waved for them to sit and asked, "Is the training plan ready?"

Xu Ning replied, "It is. I've handed the Security Section's training over to Han Zhan. The Security Section and the new recruits from the Guard Team will train together for one month. It mainly focuses on..."

Li Xuewu interrupted him before he could finish. "As long as the plan is made, that's fine. I only care about whether it's done and how it's done; I don't care about the details."

Li Xuewu knew Xu Ning was trying to free up time to work on cases with him, which was why he'd handed the training over to Han Zhan.

"Since both departments have planned it out, I won't interfere. However, I'll hold whoever falls behind in a month accountable. Also, continue with the emergency drill and study progress." Pointing at the two, Li Xuewu told them to get back to work.

He then headed to the Public Security Section.

Yan Jiecheng had been watching Li Xuewu issue orders the whole time. The moment Li Xuewu entered the room and everyone stood up to salute, Yan Jiecheng thought, *A real man should be like this. *

Seeing Li Xuewu wave his hand and everyone sit down, Yan Jiecheng fantasized about being that cool one day. But when Guard Team Captain Han Zhan, who was so respectful in front of Li Xuewu, looked him over and gestured for him to follow, Yan Jiecheng was brought back to reality. He hugged his clothes, shoes, and bedding and followed Han Zhan.

The Public Security Section's desks had been rearranged. Because the HR department had received the transfer list nominated by Han Yating and reviewed and submitted by Security Li Ke Xuewu, the personnel transfers were processed very quickly.

The new public security officers were all drawn from the Security Department and had been vetted by Han Yating, so their basic quality was sufficient.

"Chief!" As soon as Li Xuewu entered, Han Yating led the officers in a salute.

Li Xuewu returned the salute and pointed at the new recruits. "Is the handover complete?"

Han Yating walked to Li Xuewu's side and replied, "Yes, we can start work today."

Li Xuewu nodded. "Have Wei Tong and the others guide them. Every mission must have an experienced officer present. Use a one-on-one apprenticeship model to get the new comrades up to standard as quickly as possible."

Han Yating stood at attention. "Yes."

Li Xuewu whispered to Han Yating, "Pay attention to strengthening the study of legal and disciplinary documents. No illegal acts are allowed. Also, manage your time well; there's an operation tonight."

Han Yating blushed, remembering the last time Li Xuewu said she hadn't read the legal documents well enough, not even knowing that one had to be 20 to get married.

"Yes, don't worry, I guarantee the mission will be completed."

Li Xuewu nodded and headed out. He wanted to check on the police dog training at the kennel. Just as he stepped out of the building, he saw Zhang Li, the archivist from the Militia Archive, coming in with a stack of vouchers.

"I was just looking for you, Chief. I've picked up our section's meal vouchers. Since there's meat for lunch today, we need these in addition to the meal tickets."

Li Xuewu took them and looked. They were simple, printed with the words "Meal Voucher," stating they were for one person's use today, and stamped with the official seal.

Li Xuewu didn't pay much mind, tucked them into his pocket, and instructed, "Send them to the person in charge of each squad and let them distribute them themselves."

After giving the order, Zhang Li headed toward the kennel. This was the focus of their work now and in the near future. If they could train the police dogs, they could save a lot of manpower and resources, making the security work at the gates much more solid.

Li Xuewu feared "gust-of-wind" style work. He wanted to find a way to make this "gust" a permanent breeze.

As soon as he entered the garage area, he heard barking. Turning into the courtyard, he saw a dozen people in the middle of the field training the dogs with various metal and dangerous objects.

Seeing these young men from the village using old-fashioned methods to make the dogs sniff targets over and over again, Li Xuewu realized he had been a bit naive. He should have found someone more professional.

Zhao Yajun saw Li Xuewu standing by the gate, handed the dog leash to someone else, and ran over.

"Chief."

"Hmm, how's the training going?"

"Just starting. We're still in the phase of letting them get used to the environment. They can only track accurately if they're very familiar with the scent."

"The dog leashes I asked for yesterday—did you get them back? Are they what I asked for?"

"Yes, they were delivered by the Labor Protection Factory. They said the workers used canvas—the scraps from work clothes—to make them. I tested them; they're quite sturdy."

Zhao Yajun blew a sharp whistle toward the training field and waved his hand. The black dog, Hei Zi, darted toward them.

As soon as it reached Zhao Yajun, it leaped into his arms.

Even a big guy like Zhao Yajun could only stumble back a few steps to catch Hei Zi, eventually using a wrestling move to bring the dog to the ground.

Hei Zi was happy and tried to jump up again, forcing Zhao Yajun to squat down and stroke its head to calm it.

"Hei Zi misses home after leaving the mountains. All these dogs are like this. They howled for half the night yesterday. We stayed with them in the kennel for half the night to calm them down."

Li Xuewu looked at the dog harness on Hei Zi; it was identical to the police dog harnesses of the future. It seemed the Labor Protection Factory had understood his sketches perfectly.

The harness was a fixed, H-shaped design, passing over the neck and under the armpits, converging on the back. It was made of two-finger-wide cotton strips, stitched with dense nylon thread. On both sides of the dog, special labels reading "Police Dog" were sewn onto the strips.

On the neck strap, the full name of the Rolling Steel Factory was sewn. The leash was a braided cotton rope with a locking buckle at the end.

"Put more heart into it. Treat them as comrades. Let them slowly adapt to the life at the Rolling Steel Factory, especially the noisy environment. Train them to develop their abilities in identification, tracking, searching, and apprehension."

"I understand. We've been thinking of ways to do this and are training them slowly."

Seeing Li Xuewu looking at the harness and the steel buckle, Zhao Yajun explained, "The Labor Protection Factory made them directly. They're very easy to use. In an emergency, you just squeeze the buckle to release the leash."

Li Xuewu had included sketches for muzzles, but they weren't wearing them during training.

"I don't know how to train police dogs, but I know how to train people. I can't find you any books or masters on dog training for now, but I have a few ideas. You can use them as a reference."

As soon as Li Xuewu finished speaking, Zhao Yajun pulled a small notebook and a pencil from his satchel to take notes.

Li Xuewu was stunned. "Who taught you that?"

Zhao Yajun was also stunned. "My primary school teacher. He said a good memory isn't as good as a bad pen. I know there's a lot to learn for this job, so I asked my sister for a pen and notebook."

Li Xuewu's expression softened. "That's a good habit. Keep it up."

After saying this, he began to list his requirements, slowing his speech to match Zhao Yajun's writing speed.

"First is inducement. Use food, toys, and other items to guide them when teaching them actions, but pay attention to timing and patience."

"Second is compulsion. Some actions and requirements are things the dogs aren't used to, so you must compel them to perform them, but be careful with the intensity and ensure the commands are accurate."

"Third is control. We are training police dogs, not hunting dogs. Killing and predation are not the goal. So, when the dog exhibits bad behavior, use commands to control it. Dogs also read people's attitudes; your tone and attitude must be strict. If they succeed, reward them."

"The fourth point is reward. Get some bones from the cafeteria. It's not just food that encourages dogs; even petting and praise can achieve results."

"That's all I can think of for now. You guys figure out the rest. Our factory has a small reading room in the Workers' Activity Center with some publications and newspapers. You can go take a look in your spare time; you might find something useful."

"Yes. What you've said is much more comprehensive than what we thought of yesterday."

Li Xuewu nodded. "It's all connected; it's the same principle. Did your captain tell you about the training?"

Zhao Yajun nodded. "He told us before we went to sleep last night. He said we train the dogs in the morning and undergo Guard Team training in the afternoon."

"Good. Is Yin Qun settled in?"

"He is. Zhao Yajun and I went to the cafeteria to get dog food this morning. This job is much easier than farming in the village. He's in charge of feeding the dogs and daily management; we handle the cleaning ourselves."

"Good, as long as it's arranged. You all have a foundation in militia training, so you'll adapt to the Guard Team's intensity. Train hard. I'll need you soon. When the time comes, you'll earn your promotions based on merit—nearly 30 yuan a month."

"Yes, Chief, don't worry, I'll work hard."

"Good, I'm leaving. Carry on with your training." After saying this, he stepped out of the small gate.

He didn't know how to train police dogs, and these people were already familiar with the basics. He shouldn't teach the expert; it would only make him look foolish.

Li Xuewu firmly believed in the saying, "Leave professional matters to professionals." Just like the jokes he'd heard in his past life about coal bosses entering the entertainment industry—aside from looking for actresses, they never interfered with directors, yet they still demanded "positive energy."

Back in his office, he signed the documents that needed signing and sent back those that needed revisions. He hadn't even been sitting for half an hour when it was time for lunch.

He tidied up, grabbed his lunchbox, and headed to the cafeteria.

Li Xuewu arrived on time, neither early nor late, but the cafeteria was already packed.

Looking in from the door, he saw four long lines, and the serving windows were bustling.

The Guard Team members Han Zhan had arranged were standing on both sides, constantly reminding workers to line up properly, not to cut in line, and not to stand too close.

This was a requirement Li Xuewu had made in anticipation of a rush for meat dishes, but the situation still exceeded his expectations. The workers' hunger for meat was beyond what he had imagined.

"Stop pushing! My shoe fell off!"

"Why don't you go pick it up then?"

"I'd rather shuffle along; I have to get meat today no matter what."

"Exactly. I ran here as soon as I got off work, and I still couldn't beat the office staff. Look, the ones in front are all from the office."

Seeing the workers arguing about the line, the others became anxious and started complaining about the office staff in front.

The office staff in front were also indignant. *So what if we're closer and walked faster? We didn't say anything about you pushing from behind! *

The two sides were about to erupt into a fight.

Han Zhan was sweating profusely, his voice already hoarse from shouting, but he was still yelling for people to stop pushing. The line had reached the door, but people outside didn't know what was happening and kept trying to squeeze in. Han Zhan and his men couldn't stop them.

Just then, Factory Director Yang, along with various department heads, came over for lunch. Seeing the chaos from the side corridor leading to the small cafeteria, he frowned and stood there watching.

Li Xuewu didn't know the leaders were watching, but seeing that chaos was imminent, he stepped out of the line and shouted, "I am Li Xuewu from the Security Section! Quiet down now! Anyone who starts trouble will have their meal voucher revoked!"

With Li Xuewu's shout, the scene quieted down. There were still some murmurs—it was impossible to satisfy everyone in such a large event, and complaints were normal—but as long as no one led the charge, a mass incident was unlikely.

Seeing the scene calm down, Li Xuewu walked to the front of the line and shouted, "Security Section, listen up! Step out of line now! Give your spots to the worker brothers. We'll eat after they've finished!"

"Yes!"

Han Yating and the others in the line shouted in unison, grabbed their lunchboxes, and stepped out. Some were at the back, but many were at the front, as the Security Section had flexible hours and some had arrived early.

Seeing the Security Section personnel step out and form their own line, a worker shouted, "The Security Section is great!"

"Great!"

Seeing the Security Section personnel standing aside, Li Xuewu shouted, "Everyone, put your lunchboxes on a table and go maintain order!"

"Yes."

Xu Ning and the others put their lunchboxes down and headed out to maintain order.

Watching them leave, Li Xuewu shouted to the line, "Eating meat is a good thing, but if you get a belly full of anger over a bite of meat, the good thing becomes a bad thing. The meat in your mouth will lose its flavor. We're all good comrades, good brothers, and good sisters of the Rolling Steel Factory. What's the difference between eating a bit earlier or a bit later?"

"We brought so much meat yesterday, are you afraid there won't be enough? I'm the one who brought the meat back, and I'll be the last to eat. Now, everyone stand in your spots, keep a fist's distance from the person in front, and no pushing! Anyone caught spreading rumors or starting trouble will be dealt with according to Security Section regulations!"

Seeing Li Xuewu's cold face, the pushing stopped. The people in front didn't have to worry about being shoved from behind, and the line moved faster.

Factory Director Yang's frown finally vanished. He nodded at Fu Bin and headed into the small cafeteria.

Seeing the line was fine, Li Xuewu walked to the door and pushed back a head trying to squeeze in.

"Ouch! Why are you pushing me?"

Li Xuewu ignored him, blocked the flow of people, closed the door, and stood in front of the line, shouting, "If you keep yelling, nobody gets in!"

Someone in the crowd was still defiant. "Who are you to tell us what to do? Don't stop us from getting meat!"

"Exactly! Are you letting the office staff eat first and leaving us the soup?"

"No more waiting! Charge in! I want to see what the leaders are eating. If I don't get meat, I'll flip their tables!"

"Right! Charge in! Whoever gets in first eats first..."

Li Xuewu pointed at the crowd. Wei Tong was the first to rush over, grabbing one man by the collar and dragging him out of the line. With a trip, he pinned the man to the ground, and Ren An, who followed, pulled out handcuffs and cuffed him.

The man tried to shout, but Wei Tong punched him in the stomach, turning his curses into a wheezing "hiss."

Wei Tong, from the Public Security Section, was the most ruthless. This single blow left the man curled up like a shrimp, unable to make a sound.

The other security guards followed suit, dragging out the loudest agitators, pinning them to the ground, and cuffing them. Anyone who dared to shout was met with a punch.

Even those who tried to hide in the crowd after shouting were dragged out.

Seeing these people being dealt with, the crowd quieted down. Li Xuewu stood on the steps, glaring, and the surrounding guards all looked eager to perform in front of their Chief.

If this crowd wasn't controlled, a stampede could easily occur on the steps.

"The line inside is already formed. None of us in the Security Section have eaten, including me. We're staying here to maintain order until you've all finished getting your food, then we'll eat."

After Li Xuewu finished speaking, the noise in the crowd dropped significantly.

"Now, form four lines, keep a fist's distance apart. Anyone caught cutting in line or disturbing order will be cuffed."

The crowd outside slowly merged into four lines. Li Xuewu opened the door again, letting these four lines connect with the ones inside.

"Han Zhan, keep a few people at the door. If it gets blocked inside, close the door and wait. Don't let people pile up at the door again."

"Yes." Han Zhan's voice was hoarse, but he managed to answer with a hiss.

Li Xuewu walked over to the workers who had been dragged out and cuffed.

They were all in their twenties, and they had lost their bravado, kneeling on the ground with their hands on their heads, held down by the guards.

Li Xuewu said to Wei Tong, "Make them face the wall. When the cafeteria finishes serving, take them back for five days of detention and a 100-yuan fine. If they refuse, report them to the local station and have them fired."

Li Xuewu's tone was severe. Wei Tong dragged them up and shoved them against the wall.

"Stand straight! Toes, stomach, and head against the wall!"

The concrete wall of the cafeteria was freezing cold.

"Cool off the hot manure in your brains. You think you can play the hero just because there are a lot of you?"

The other guards followed Wei Tong's lead and shoved the others against the wall.

Seeing these agitators being made an example of, no one dared to push anymore.

Li Xuewu stood at the door, watching the line move until it was finished, then led the Security Section into the cafeteria.

The workers still eating applauded when they saw Li Xuewu and the dozens of Security Section members finally lining up to get their food. They stood in military formation, silent, and the applause lasted for quite a while, only stopping when the Security Section had finished getting their food.

Sha Zhu's promise to save food was true. Even though they were the last to eat, their lunchboxes were full.

In reality, since they were last, it was just a matter of how much meat they got, but it was impossible for there to be none. The cafeteria director was also afraid of trouble, so he'd added plenty of potatoes and radishes to the stew, ensuring everyone got a ladleful.

Li Xuewu was the last to be served. Under the cafeteria director's nod, Liu Lan gave Li Xuewu a lunchbox full of meat, and Sha Zhu gave him four *mantou*.

"Thanks for your hard work, Li Ke. Thanks for maintaining order; otherwise, there would have been a huge mess today."

Seeing the cafeteria director being polite, Li Xuewu smiled. "It's what we should do. If there's a mess, we're the ones responsible."

"It's a good thing you were here today. Those people at the door almost scared me to death."

The cafeteria director was being dramatic. Li Xuewu listened with a smile, greeted him, and took his lunchbox to the Public Security Section's table, where he ate with the others.

This guy was an old fox. He'd been hiding in his office while the chaos was happening, and now that it was over, he'd come out to take credit. No wonder Sha Zhu didn't like him; Sha Zhu would retort to everything the director said.

Whether it was the communal cooking or the fact that the pig was fresh, the meat tasted better than last time, without that strong gamey smell.

"At 3:00 PM, Han Yating and Xu Ning, come to my office for a meeting."

Xu Ning and Han Yating knew what the meeting was about and nodded.

Li Xuewu ate quickly, washed his lunchbox at the sink, and went to the Guard Team dormitory for a nap.

The dormitory had a bit of a smell, but it was comfortable enough. Li Xuewu kept his bedding there and usually took a nap at this time every day.

The Guard Team members didn't dare to disturb Li Xuewu's nap, and gradually, they had all developed the habit of taking a nap themselves.

With Zhao Yajun's new recruits moving in, the dormitory was basically full. Although there were more people, the order hadn't been disrupted because they knew Li Xuewu came every day, so they consciously kept the place clean.

After sleeping for over half an hour, Li Xuewu got up, tidied himself, and strolled to the office.

He spent two hours reading the files on Huang Ping, trying to understand the man better.

Sometimes, one's judgment changes over time, and a sudden spark of inspiration can lead to a solution.

Li Xuewu wrote "Fishing" on a piece of paper, drew a question mark, and then wrote down: "Fishing rod, reel, club, professor, Rolling Steel Factory, engineer."

Did the Rolling Steel Factory have secrets?

Of course it did. It always had. The Hongxing Rolling Steel Factory was the largest special steel and parts manufacturing plant in the capital, including many secret materials currently under development.

Just as he was thinking, Xu Ning and Han Yating entered.

"Chief."

"Sit."

Li Xuewu let them sit and asked Xu Ning, "Is the target normal these past two days?"

"You told me not to follow him, so I could only monitor him within the factory area, but it's useless. He's completely normal in the factory."

"Hmm. I'm planning to take some people to scout things out tonight." Li Xuewu lit a cigarette, took a puff, and narrowed his eyes.

Han Yating said, "Chief, I'll go too."

Li Xuewu flicked the ash. "Both of you go. Keep an eye on anyone he contacts today. I'm taking the new recruits, and I'm afraid they won't be able to keep up."

Xu Ning and Han Yating nodded and went to prepare. Simple plainclothes would be necessary.

Li Xuewu called the Guard Team duty room and notified Zhao Yajun to bring two familiar faces, pick up three bicycles before getting off work, and wait at the Security Office at the factory gate.

Zhao Yajun was obedient and didn't ask why. He hung up the phone and went to find people.

Li Xuewu checked the time, took his military overcoat from the space, put it on, stepped out, and called Xu Ning and Han Yating. The three of them strolled to the gate Security Office as usual.

Zhao Yajun, along with Gao Fengkun and a man named Liu Zhaolun, were already waiting.

When Zhao Yajun introduced the names, Xu Ning couldn't help but laugh.

"Chief, this mission is in the bag. We're taking the 'Kunlun Army' on an outside mission. Hahaha."

Li Xuewu also wanted to laugh. To keep Zhao Yajun and the others from getting nervous, he said casually, "We have an outside mission today: tailing someone. Watch who he contacts, his body language, eye contact, etc. If there's any exchange of documents, that's a priority target."

Zhao Yajun and the others were excited. Li Xuewu had told them earlier that they could earn early promotions through merit. They hadn't expected the chance to earn merit to come so soon.

"Yes, guarantee mission completion!"

Seeing the three were a bit nervous, Li Xuewu patted his hands and said, "Don't be nervous. You can't keep staring at him. The target is someone with rich counter-reconnaissance experience. Just take a glance and don't look again. As long as you don't lose him, that's fine."

The three relaxed slightly.

"Don't be afraid. We and the Chief will be following you. See? We just picked these up from the gun vault. We'll follow and protect you if necessary." Xu Ning patted the Type 54 pistol at his waist.

Seeing Xu Ning show the Type 54, the three became nervous again. City people were used to seeing short guns, but those from the village weren't.

"Let's give this operation a code name to fit the occasion, just like Li Kezhang Xu said: 'Operation Kunlun.' If you complete this mission well, I'll put in a request for merit for you. You see why our Security Section is full of young cadres? It's because we trade merit for rewards."

The three were young, and Li Xuewu's talk easily got them fired up. The nervousness they felt earlier was washed away.

The bell for the end of the shift rang, and the machinery in the workshops gradually stopped, followed by the sound of workers moving and talking.

Crowds poured out of every workshop, merging into a long line toward the gate. The Security Section and Guard Team were already in position, waiting for the inspection.

Li Xuewu and the others watched the crowd from the window of the Security Office.

After about ten minutes, Xu Ning's sharp eyes spotted the figure walking out of the Experimental Building. "The target is out."

Li Xuewu confirmed it, told the others to step back, had them confirm the target one by one, and gave each of them a one-inch photo.

"Remember what he looks like. Don't take the photo out to look at it in front of people. Once he goes out, follow him. Don't follow too closely. Take turns following him, the three of you."

After saying this, Li Xuewu asked Xu Ning, "Did you tell the gate guards? Don't let the line delay their exit."

Xu Ning replied, "It's already arranged. They'll go straight out through the side gate."

Seeing Huang Ping had already passed the Security Office's line of sight, Li Xuewu patted the three on the shoulder. Seeing them wearing the clothes they'd arrived in from the village, he nodded with satisfaction. "Go."

"Yes!"

The three answered promptly, saluted Li Xuewu, and went to get their bicycles.

Li Xuewu stood with Xu Ning and Han Yating, chatting and laughing as usual, watching the line of people pass through the gate.

"Did anyone see you picking up the guns?"

Xu Ning hesitated for a moment. "Old Zhou asked, but I didn't tell him. I just said I had a mission."

Li Xuewu nodded and didn't say anything else.

Seeing Huang Ping passing the inspection, Li Xuewu asked, "Did you use the trick I taught you?"

Xu Ning wrinkled his nose and laughed. "I did. I got some dog urine from the kennel."

Answering Li Xuewu's question, Xu Ning added with a laugh, "Your trick is truly brilliant."

"You mean truly vicious," Li Xuewu said, not looking at Xu Ning.

Xu Ning wouldn't let the conversation drop. Seeing Huang Ping pushing his bike past the inspection point, he signaled Zhao Yajun and the others to follow. He replied to Li Xuewu, "How could that be? For a person like that, no means are too vicious."

PS: Solemn declaration: The content in this book is entirely fabricated by the author. If any reader tries to get promoted using this experience, it is the personal responsibility of the reader. Wu Wen Nong Mo takes no responsibility!

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