Chapter 729: Excited Every Night

If you break my wings!

I will surely destroy your heaven!

Lao Lao Biaozi didn't care what kind of thing the other party was; what he played at was non-mainstream.

Since Wu Ge had said they couldn't make direct contact or investigate, then it was time for something exciting and unconventional.

Don't look at the fact that Brother Biao was no longer in the jianghu, for legends of Brother Biao still circulated throughout the jianghu.

The area near Jiaodaokou in the East City was known as forbidden ground for the little hooligans and a no-go zone for the wan-zhu; this place did not welcome clamor, yet now that clamor had developed into noisy uproar.

Lao Lao Biaozi swayed this vehicle of luck along the streets; he dared not spread his arms wide, yet he was still the king here... the king of scavenging scrap!

This second-hand bicycle, which Sha Zhu had dreamed of and expected to use to overthrow Director Guo of the canteen, had ultimately fallen into Lao Lao Biaozi's hands, as He Yushui and Diliya would not allow Sha Zhu to act recklessly.

It wasn't that their family couldn't afford to buy this second-hand bicycle, but rather that none of them wanted Sha Zhu to cause trouble.

In the kitchen, in the Dashitang, Sha Zhu was absolutely a top-notch hand; speaking through his craftsmanship, he held absolute authority within the canteen.

But if he reached the government offices, with Sha Zhu's temper and brain, something might truly go wrong.

Therefore, there is specialization in every trade; under the persuasion of his sister and wife, Sha Zhu decided to let Director Guo off the hook and yield this position to him.

Li Li Xuewu did not want to fuss with this bicycle anymore and was too lazy to haul it to Haiyuncang again; since Li Xue didn't ride it, this bike became Lao Lao Biaozi's daily transport.

He still persisted in the strategy Li Li Xuewu had set for him: staying opposite the school of his first target.

Every morning, he would arrange a chance encounter for that Miss that was both expected yet caught her off guard.

What? What place?

The Central Academy of Drama!

No matter who asked him, he dared to answer just so: "My partner studies at the Central Academy of Drama."

Don't be envious; if you had a two-courtyard Sihe Academy opposite the Central Academy of Drama, you could also find a partner there.

Even if you look exactly like Brother Biao... strikingly handsome~

The Jiaodaokou area was truly a bit too chaotic, and since Lao Lao Biaozi rode fiercely, this bicycle had suffered terrible luck in his hands.

With this big bulk and short legs, straddling the crossbar, he swayed left and right whenever he accelerated.

Lao Lao Biaozi glanced at those little whelps on the roadside, frowned, and ignored them.

Jiaodaokou remained forbidden ground for the little hooligans and a no-go zone for the wan-zhu, but they were helpless against these little whelps.

Just think about it: even if the little hooligans were damn bastards, they wouldn't pull the stupid shit of gathering hundreds of people to put the City God on trial; and even if the wan-zhu were damn bored, they wouldn't block the main street with hundreds of people to sentence others with whips.

These aren't fools; these are damn madmen.

Lao Lao Biaozi felt that those emptying their schoolbags of books only to fill them with colored paper, screaming as they ran out of campus, were all damn madmen.

Reckless, without scruples, acting wildly, doing whatever they wished.

Today they overturned the cultural center, tomorrow they would hit the quyi society; there was fire in their hearts, and wherever they looked, everything seemed combustible.

The little hooligans dared not provoke them, and the wan-zhu were even less capable; they had no choice but to join them if they couldn't beat them.

Fortunately, there was a bond of incense and fire, after all, those who made the most noise and played the roughest were their big brothers.

At this time, what mattered was marking out territories, well water not violating river water, a piece for you, a piece for me, and everyone attacking Kong Qin Laoer.

Little whelps, little hooligans, wan-zhu, along with some other organizations and gangs, were a messy chaos, with demons dancing wildly.

Only because Lao Lao Biaozi often hung around here could he even name these organizations and gangs, let alone understand the division of their territories.

Pedaling the bike at high speed, unafraid of the big sun overhead, upon seeing the small building ahead, Lao Lao Biaozi pedaled furiously.

Upon reaching the front of the small building, this bastard squeezed the brake hard, immediately performing a "fat dragon swings its tail" for the group of little whelps squatting on the steps at the entrance.

"Good!"

"Brother Biao's style remains as ever!"

"Brother Biao is vigorous and powerful, great fortune and great profit!"

"Get lost, you bastards!!"

Without getting off the bike, Lao Lao Biaozi planted his foot on the wall head, laughed and cursed at the little whelps inside who were joking with him, then slightly lifted his chin and asked the tall, thin figure emerging from the small building's door: "Xiao Laosan, do you have any connections with the branch bureau here?"

"No, our station here is Tian-pai, of the Red Sun faction."

The tall, thin man whom Lao Lao Biaozi called Xiao Laosan walked two steps toward the entrance, pulled a dagger from the pocket of his blue training pants, tapped the tip against the vertical wooden plaque with black characters on a white background hanging on the lobby pillar of the small building, and lazily reminded him to look for himself.

Lao Lao Biaozi curled his lip, rolled his eyes, and said, "If I damn well knew how to read, would it be your turn to be the big brother?! Damn!"

Finishing his words, he turned his head intending to leave, as there were many little whelp organizations in this area, and he still had to search further.

"Hey! Brother Biao!"

Seeing him about to leave, that Xiao Laosan shouted with a duck-like voice, then walked down from the steps, shoved aside a guy flexing an arm strengthener who was in the way, and turned his head muttering curses.

Judging by this, this Xiao Laosan was doing quite well within whatever Tian-pai organization, at least his demeanor was very cool.

Once he reached Lao Lao Biaozi's side, Xiao Laosan folded his arms and leaned on the wall head, raising his eyebrows as he asked Lao Lao Biaozi: "Tell me the truth, what do you want with those cops?"

"Make some money, what else?"

Lao Lao Biaozi impatiently twitched the corner of his mouth and asked, "Do you have connections or not? If not, I'm leaving."

"Hey! Hey! Look how anxious you are!"

Xiao Laosan was also a chatterbox; this kind of person was most plentiful in this city of Four-Nine, people whose mouths seemed rented, unable to sleep if they didn't say one more word.

After muttering a few words at Lao Lao Biaozi, this Xiao Laosan, who had become the leader of a small organization with only a second-year junior high education, wrinkled his nose, glanced at the basket on the bicycle handlebars, and knew there must be something good inside.

Why would a scrap collector be called Brother Biao!

Besides the fact that this master had also mixed in these grounds before, and was among the batch that later did well, there was another reason: this Brother Biao could generate economy.

What economy?

It means whatever you have, he can buy; whatever you need, he can procure for you; that is the kind of economy.

Then you might say, since such people fight alone, just riding one bicycle, why not just rob them?

Absolutely not; they couldn't, and they didn't dare.

People like them played games with no tomorrow; they knew best what dirty work they were doing.

Those big bosses above might still have a future ahead, perhaps even amnesty, but such things would never fall to the likes of them.

Therefore, they—and not just them, but everyone of this sort—needed a channel.

They were too lazy to deal with many things themselves; aside from what they handed over, whatever remained could naturally be sold for cash, which was good.

The little whelps naturally went to the Jiaodaokou Recycling Store to sell and buy, but big shots like them didn't need to; they were VIPs among VIPs, dealing in large volumes that warranted door-to-door service.

He had everything those little whelps dreamed of: quotation books and selected works, navy-striped shirts, training pants, and the most fashionable clothing of the day.

Various cool fitness equipment, fun and attractive badges, and the hard-to-find green bakelite items—Brother Biao could get them all.

The service was VIP, so naturally the prices were VIP too; selling cheaply would hardly be fair to their ill-gotten gains, would it?

Everyone in this area was familiar with Lao Lao Biaozi; all goods were collected by Lao Lao Biaozi driving over, bought by the jin.

Now Lao Lao Biaozi was riding his bicycle around, claiming to be "developing the economy," but in reality, he was just sweeping up goods.

Xiao Xiao Laosan was familiar with this routine; he knew it especially well, so well that it made him feel hot, and when hot, he wanted ice cream.

What a coincidence; there was ice cream right in the basket hanging from Lao Lao Biaozi's handlebars.

"Are you fucking a dog or something!"

Lao Lao Biaozi frowned, laughed and scolded Xiao Xiao Laosan, then pulled a string out of the basket and tossed it directly to him.

"That was meant for the Yellow River Faction; I'll just say a dog intercepted it when I get there."

"Hehe, so it was originally for the Yellow-Haired Kid!"

Xiao Xiao Laosan grinned, pulled a string of ice creams from the net bag, and gave the rest to the little whelps who had gathered around.

He took a hard bite; his mouth felt freezing cold, so cold that he squinted one eye shut.

"Damn! It's all melted!"

Xiao Xiao Laosan curled his lips in disgust, then walked around the factory gate to the front of Lao Lao Biaozi's bicycle, craning his neck to peek into the basket on the handlebars again.

"There's not a fucking thing left; what are you looking for?"

Lao Lao Biaozi looked at Xiao Xiao Laosan with dissatisfaction and said, "Do you expect to find a woman in my basket?"

"Damn! You brag without even using a draft!"

Seeing that there was indeed nothing left in the basket, Xiao Xiao Laosan curled his lips in dissatisfaction and said, "I haven't even managed to get myself a wife; with your rough appearance, you think you can get a woman?"

Lao Lao Biaozi couldn't be bothered with him; these Wang Ba had hearts that were thoroughly bad, beyond reasoning with; he had just said a dog intercepted it, and they actually took it as truth.

After taking so much advantage of someone, how could one not let them eat back a little bit?

It was just a few popsicles; Brother Biao wasn't short on such a small amount.

"If you don't know anything, stop messing with me; I really have business to attend to!"

"Hey!"

With an ice cream stick in his mouth, Xiao Xiao Laosan grabbed Lao Lao Biaozi's handlebars, raised his eyebrows, and said, "You were going to find the Yellow-Haired Kid, right? His place got overturned; that spot now belongs to the Cops Faction you were looking for."

Lao Lao Biaozi widened his eyes, looked at Xiao Xiao Laosan suspiciously, and asked, "Are you serious? Weren't there a lot of them? Didn't they talk about defending the Yellow River or something?"

"To hell with that!"

Xiao Xiao Laosan bit into his ice cream with great disdain, his hands restlessly fiddling with the electric friction lamp on the handlebars, and mumbled vaguely, "Defend the fucking Yellow River? Has he even seen what the Yellow River looks like!"

After muttering this and finishing the ice cream in his mouth, he explained to Lao Lao Biaozi: "The big boss of their faction is finished; he was crippled by a beating, their territory was taken over, and now it belongs to the Cops Faction."

Lao Lao Biaozi rolled his eyes and said helplessly, "Is there any stability left in the way you guys live? Just keeping track of all your various factions is enough to drive one crazy, and now you're changing sect masters every other day; are you playing games?"

"Hehehe~~~"

The little whelps behind the low wall heard Brother Biao complaining and burst into loud laughter while eating their ice cream.

Xiao Xiao Laosan finished the rest in a few bites, threw away the stick, and laughed while scolding Lao Lao Biaozi: "You're the fucking faction! You belong to the Beggar Sect!"

After saying this, he pointed at the sign by the gate to introduce to Lao Lao Biaozi: "We are a legitimate organization; can you be serious for once and stop calling us gangs or sects?"

After introducing himself to Lao Lao Biaozi, he started laughing so hard he squatted on the ground, covering his face and chuckling as he scolded, "Still talking about fucking sect masters..."

Lao Lao Biaozi drooped his eyelids, glanced at the giggling little whelps in the yard and at Xiao Xiao Laosan squatting by the gate roaring with laughter, curled his lips, then kicked hard against the low wall, mounted his bicycle, and rode toward the former Yellow River Faction, now the Cops Faction.

He knew the Yellow-Haired Kid of the Yellow River Faction; he was an old regular customer.

This "old regular customer" did not mean the Yellow-Haired Kid was old in age, nor did it mean he had known Lao Lao Biaozi for a long time; rather, it meant there had been many transactions between the two.

Or one could say, Lao Lao Biaozi had picked up countless bargains from the Yellow-Haired Kid.

No wonder he felt a bit regretful upon hearing that the Yellow River Faction had collapsed and the Yellow-Haired Kid had fled; that was all money!

Unlike Xiao Xiao Laosan, the Yellow-Haired Kid was not someone who haggled; he was easy to cheat... what a easily deceived yellow-haired youth!

The Yellow-Haired Kid lived up to his name; the hair on his head was yellow, but this had nothing to do with lineage, as both his parents were pure native Jingcheng locals.

As for why his hair was yellow, it wasn't because his mother had a foreign friend behind his father's back; it was caused by malnutrition since childhood.

At first, Lao Lao Biaozi didn't know what he lacked, but later he asked Li Li Xuewu and learned that a deficiency in trace elements like iron and copper causes hair to turn yellow.

Because of this, Lao Lao Biaozi specifically searched through the scrap heap at the recycling station, found two pieces of brass, asked an old master craftsman to forge a brass golden gourd, tied it with a red string, and gave it to the Yellow-Haired Kid to wear around his neck as supplementation.

Supplement what is lacking; since he lacked copper, now he had copper, and brass copper at that.

The Yellow-Haired Kid was quite moved, so whenever he found anything interesting, he always thought to save it for Lao Lao Biaozi.

Lao Lao Biaozi treated him the same as he treated everyone else; with old regular customers, one must not only maintain a cooperative relationship but also cultivate feelings.

He was riding so fast to rush to the Cops Faction precisely because he cherished this bond.

"Holy shit! Brother Biao, did I delay your takeoff!"

Lao Lao Biaozi had just drifted into the courtyard of the former Dongfeng Faction next to the old Yellow River Faction and nearly collided with someone coming out.

"Sorry, sorry, the brakes aren't working well~"

Lao Lao Biaozi jumped off his bicycle with a smile, moved his foot, and had already completed the action of deploying the kickstand.

The person exiting exchanged a couple of laughing insults with him, then pushed his own bicycle out the gate and headed away.

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi swept a glance across this area; just like over at Xiao Xiao Laosan's place, it was all low walls surrounding small buildings in the Republic of China style.

In the past, this side was a street of commercial companies from the puppet regime era, later it became a street for cultural industries, and now it has turned into a street for little brats.

Looking at the district as a whole, one could still detect a trace of what remained from before, though basically, it had all been messed up quite thoroughly.

Nowadays, the various sects that Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi spoke of were all willing to set up a base here to serve as a stronghold, proving their organization still held some face within these four-nine layers.

The little brats on the main street darted about chaotically; thanks to the tall Dao-line trees providing shade, they had no fear of the sun scorching them.

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi coming to Dongfeng was purely to chat idly; he circled inside the building once, confirmed there was nothing worthwhile in the warehouse, and then left.

Since the two courtyards were not far apart, Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi didn't ride his bike; instead, he swung the keys in his hand and entered the courtyard gate formerly belonging to the Yellow River Sect.

"Shh~ What are you doing?"

He hadn't taken more than a few steps into the courtyard when a person flashed out from the gateway, chin slightly raised as he sized him up.

Meanwhile, several young men got off a row of bicycles parked under a large tree inside the courtyard.

These young men had spotted Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi when he first entered the courtyard, but since they were smoking cigarettes and chatting nonsense, they hadn't paid him any mind.

Now that they saw the group leader at the gate asking questions, they all flicked away their cigarette butts and gathered around.

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi glanced at the few of them in surprise, then asked hesitantly, "You guys are...?"

The man standing at the gate frowned slightly and asked again, "Who are you? Who are you looking for? This isn't a place you can just enter at will."

"Oh?"

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi raised his eyebrows, turned his head, and carefully examined the sign hanging on the pillar of the entrance hall, its paint still damn well wet.

Then, pointing at the white sign with black characters, he asked the young man standing in the entrance hall, "This... has the gang changed?"

As soon as he finished asking, the young man in the entrance hall waved his hand impatiently, gesturing to the group of young men gathering over there, and said, "Teach him what kind of place this is; it's not a vegetable market."

After saying this, the young man turned to go inside, while the young men who had gathered around all hung their eyelids low, none of them looking like good sorts.

At this moment, Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi feigned panic and said, "I'm here to handle economic matters; I had an appointment with the previous Huang Mao..."

"Huang Mao?"

The young man, who already had one leg stepping inside, turned back, raised his eyebrows to size up Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi, and lifted his chin slightly.

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi, being quite sensible, walked forward a few steps and said softly, "He said there were some 'confiscated' items in the warehouse for me to dispose of, and that he wanted some steel pipes and navy-striped shirts."

After speaking, he looked at these few people somewhat blankly, appearing as if caught off guard.

The young man standing at the gate tilted his head unexpectedly to look at Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi and asked, "You can actually get hold of those things?"

"Hehe, professional waste recycling, reuse of obsolete goods."

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi smiled, took out his identification card, which even bore an official seal.

The official seal of the recycling station was right in his hands; wasn't making such an ID card just a matter of doing whatever he wanted?

The young man, however, was unaware of his situation; seeing he was a public official, he believed him and handed the identification card back to Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi.

"What's this about steel pipes and navy-striped shirts?"

Seeing Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi still looking at him blankly, he explained with some arrogance, "That Huang Mao you mentioned has already withdrawn; we have completed the rectification and cleanup of their organization."

"To put it plainly, they're gone!"

After explaining, the young man even made a gesture with his hand, acting very impressive.

Observing Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi's expression, he asked again, "Do you know that Huang Mao?"

"I know him~"

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi nodded frankly in agreement, disregarding the other's narrowed eyes, and gestured to the surrounding courtyard, saying, "I know everyone on this street; I'm the one who handles all their confiscated goods."

The young man looked at Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi in surprise, then immediately gave a wink to one of the young men below the steps.

One of the young men silently withdrew from the courtyard and ran across to the opposite side.

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi noticed but pretended not to, continuing to introduce the scope of his business to this young man.

What the hell did knowing or not knowing matter, what the hell did feelings or no feelings matter; did handing over a brass gourd create feelings?

How could Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi not know what these people were up to, or how those spoils were obtained!

He was just heartbroken about this timing; with Huang Mao gone, he had lost at least several thousand yuan.

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi was truly furious, but unfortunately, he didn't have Brother Kun's skills, nor did he have a shoulder nearby to press down on.

The little brat who had run out returned quickly, nodding discreetly to the young man on the steps.

At this moment, as the young man listened to Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi speak again, his expression became serious, no longer that slouching, carefree attitude from before.

"I'll take the goods Huang Mao ordered from you."

The young man said indifferently, "Get me some of those arm strength trainers and training pants you mentioned earlier."

After speaking, he scratched his head and added, "The warehouse is already empty; wait a few days while I prepare the provisions."

"No rush, I hang out on this street; call anytime and I'll be there."

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi smiled, then pointed outside the gate and said, "Since there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."

The young man nodded, signaling he could leave; he had heard of such people before, and upon truly encountering one, naturally would not offend them.

There was no need; people like this were like leeches attached to their bodies—without them, blood couldn't be changed, yet with them, it felt painful; a relationship of mutual dependence.

Offending such a person meant offending everyone on this entire street, and bullying just him would only make himself and the others look incompetent.

Under the gaze of these people, Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi walked to the gate, then turned back and asked, "Um... let me ask, what is your gang called? Who is the gang leader?"

"Pfft~"

The young man standing inside the gate couldn't help but laugh at his words; he licked his lips hard, then looked at Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi speechlessly and said, "Great Wall; I am the person in charge here, Gao Gao Xiaotian."

"Hehe, very good."

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi smiled, made a distorted American-style military salute, and then said, "My name is Lao Biaozi!"

After speaking, he sized up the new Great Wall Sect and said, "Very good; defending the Great Wall is just as important as defending the Yellow River."

Hearing him say this, the young man knew this was an illiterate who didn't know a thing; how could the Yellow River and the Great Wall be the same thing? Their representative meanings were different as well.

At a time like this, anyone who could speak like that and still move freely on this street was either a political master or a porter who knew nothing at all.

As for the former, he prided himself on his sharp eyesight and would absolutely never mistake someone with thoughts and organization.

Someone like this Lao Biaozi was probably truly just a fool.

However, since the young man intended to get along with him, he added a few more words, smiling over the wall as he explained, "People like us all come from Public Security No. 17 Middle School; saying 'Great Wall' represents our background."

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi smiled and said, "I know that now; our Jiaodaokou area has its own Public Security Brigade and sub-bureau."

"Heh heh~"

Seeing that Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi understood, the young man chuckled lightly and said, "What a coincidence, isn't it? Most of the children of the people in that sub-bureau you mentioned attend No. 17 Middle School, and most of them are also here with us."

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi smiled, scratched his head, and said, "I don't really understand how your gang categorizes people."

After speaking, he pressed his lips together and gestured toward the Dongfeng Faction next door, indicating he was leaving.

Gao Gao Xiaotian smiled, shouted after Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi's retreating back, "Prepare plenty of wine then, good wine!"

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi heard it, turned around smiling, and waved his hand to indicate he understood.

Gao Gao Xiaotian watched Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi enter the courtyard on the Dongfeng side, and watched him playfully roughhouse intimately with the people there, before finally narrowing his squinting eyes slightly.

People who appeared suddenly always gave him a sense of surprise, so seeing was believing.

He turned back and asked the little brat who had gone out earlier to gather intelligence a few more questions, only then setting aside the doubts in his heart.

It was impossible for them to be targeting us; we only just took over the houses here, while this person has been mixing on this street for a long time.

Unless he could calculate fate, how would he know we were coming here?

Even if he could calculate fate, they weren't afraid; the very people they fought were those kinds of individuals.

Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi naturally noticed that the one called Gao Gao Xiaotian suspected him, so he merely chatted casually without saying too much.

Even mentioning the connection to No. 17 Middle School was something Gao Gao Xiaotian had brought up himself.

Did Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi not know they were from No. 17 Middle School? Did he not know they had connections to the sub-bureau?

Xiao Xiao Laosan had already investigated everything on this side long ago; they were specifically targeting them.

Why make a stop here at Dongfeng's place?

It was precisely to give them a false impression; once he left, someone would surely come here to inquire about him.

And the Great Wall people would ask the Dongfeng people whether he had deliberately inquired about this side; if not, it would prove he wasn't targeting this area.

Could investigating Dongfeng possibly lead back to Xiao Xiao Laosan?

Even if they did find out, so what? He wasn't targeting anyone specific; with the net cast so wide, who could know what he intended to do?

He had been mixing here all along, arriving even earlier than they did, so they surely wouldn't suspect him.

But Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi was indeed targeting Lai Lai Shanchuan; behind every successful father always stands a son who drags the legs down.

There was no need to doubt middle school students' love for excitement at this time; children like Li Xue were rare, while most would put on green armbands and go out to play and make noise with their classmates.

Shouting slogans, flaunting their background, feeling superior, every day was exhilarating.

Lai Lai Shanchuan's information wasn't hard to obtain; they were all in the same system, so who didn't know whom?

With intent calculating against carelessness, you pull the firewood from under my cauldron, I pull the firewood from under yours; let's just hurt each other.

After Li Li Xuewu finished instructing Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi, he left the matter alone; Lai Lai Shanchuan's actions wouldn't amount to much, it was merely a harassment tactic to force him into compliance.

Lai Lai Shanchuan also knew Li Li Xuewu had backing; truly annoying him would bring trouble.

However, this was a critical period; many people of status chose to hide away or disappear and keep a low profile.

He had thought it over: Li Li Xuewu wouldn't use special connections for the time being; it wasn't worth it for him, and since it was a workplace relationship, making a huge fuss would only make Li Li Xuewu appear incapable.

Therefore, he intended to cut Li Li Xuewu with a dull knife, making Li Li Xuewu uncomfortable, thereby forcing him to compromise.

He wasn't taking over his Public Security Brigade right now, just arranging a few people; how difficult could that be?

Wasn't the art of the workplace all about compromise?

Li Li Xuewu also saw through Lai Lai Shanchuan's intentions, so one couldn't easily move against such a person; one had to make him behave properly in a single strike, grip his vital spot, and lock his throat.

With little time left in the afternoon, he stopped by the Public Security Brigade for a while waiting for off-duty time; Shen Fang asked Li Li Xuewu about the inspection matters, but Li Li Xuewu didn't explain the details to him.

There had been some changes at the sub-bureau side, with many cadres reassigned; Gao Zhen said there might be changes by year-end involving a move to the city, while there was no news regarding Zheng Zheng Fuhua.

Li Li Xuewu didn't pay attention to that, instead asking Shen Fang about the upper leadership's arrangements and thoughts regarding the Public Security Brigade.

Shen Fang raised an eyebrow and countered, "You hope the upper leadership will use us? Isn't it nice being idle like this every day?"

"I want to be idle for a lifetime, safe and sound; is that possible?"

Li Li Xuewu retorted at Shen Fang, then said, "I've thought about it; having no missions for us during this period is actually a good thing; a smooth transition is the true blessing."

"Are you that accurate in your calculations?"

Shen Fang looked at Li Li Xuewu suspiciously and asked, "How do you know we can make a smooth transition?"

"I wasn't sure before, but now~~~"

Li Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Ninety-nine percent."

After speaking, he tapped the table, signaling Shen Fang to put the lighter back after finishing his cigarette.

Why did every single one of them have the bad habit of pocketing other people's lighters!

Shen Fang didn't mind Li Li Xuewu's expression; he naturally placed the lighter back on the table and signaled Li Li Xuewu to continue.

Li Li Xuewu reached out, took back the lighter, and continued explaining, "The people before weren't fixed members of the Public Security Brigade, so naturally they lacked confidence, but now it's different."

After speaking, he pointed again toward the window, looked at Shen Fang, and asked, "If the Garrison Command can arrange for them to set up camp here, what do you think they want them to do?"

Shen Fang took a drag of his cigarette, raised an eyebrow, and said, "I'm asking you; if I knew, would it still be your turn to climb over my head?"

"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and speak!"

"Heh~"

Li Li Xuewu glanced at the unrestrained Shen Fang and said, "I'll leave this question for you to ponder slowly; consider it your homework for today."

After speaking, he stood up, picked up the handbag on the table, gestured toward the door, and said as he walked out, "Off work, going home."

"Damn!"

Shen Fang twitched the corner of his mouth, glanced at the time on his wrist, and shouted toward Li Li Xuewu, who had already walked to the window: "There's still five minutes; let's chat for another five."

"No thanks; your thinking is too backward—do more studying."

Li Li Xuewu's mockery drifted into the room; by the time Shen Fang wanted to throw it back, he helplessly realized Li Li Xuewu had already passed through the courtyard gate.

Precisely because he held two jobs, Li Li Xuewu's commute between getting off work and starting work was quite pleasant—if not for the current situation.

You all can wait; I can't afford to wait anymore~

Li Li Xuewu looked at the people on the street and shook his head slightly; without Comrade Sha Sha Qizhi, the journey home felt much quieter.

Han Han Jiankun would not voluntarily speak, so the car remained very quiet, forming a stark contrast with the clamor outside.

Perhaps it was the emblem on the door, or maybe the antenna on the roof and the rugged appearance; in any case, no one dared to stop this vehicle.

However, Li Li Xuewu also noticed that vehicles from quite a few units had been stopped; there was indeed something of that flavor to it.

Han Han Jiankun kept his eyes fixed ahead, the holster at his waist already open; if anyone dared to block the car in a moment, he wouldn't mind showing them whether his big Da Da Wusi was pretty or not.

The command vehicle cut through the crowds and traffic; until it entered the Haiyuncang area, the little brats by the roadside never gave him that opportunity.

It wasn't that the whole city was in an uproar about this; rather, now that the weather was hot, staying at home was boring, the days had grown longer, and so there were more little brats on the roads.

After arriving home, Li Li Xuewu asked the Old Lady and Qin Qin Jingru about the situation on the street right in front of their house; upon learning it had always been very peaceful, he set his mind at ease.

By rights, with so many villas in this area, it should have attracted those people's attention, yet no one had come over here to cause trouble.

Li Li Xuewu figured one reason was that the identities of the people living here were extraordinary, and another was that there was no commotion within this residential district.

But unlike over in the hutongs, where every household left their doors wide open, laughing and chattering, or carrying palm-leaf fans and small stools to sit at their doorways for half the night,

here there was no Supply and Marketing Cooperative, every household kept their main gates closed daily, and no one wandered aimlessly on the streets.

Now that the weather had turned hot, some people would go for walks by the lake in the morning, but with so many mosquitoes at night, fewer people went out.

Every household had someone working; after getting off work, everyone focused on serving that working member, so where would there be time to go out and play?

Those little brats couldn't get up early in the morning anyway, so the schedules were staggered, making this area feel very spacious and serene.

Li Li Xuewu gave Qin Qin Jingru a few instructions, telling her not to wander around recklessly as it wasn't very safe now.

The Old Lady in this house never went out; only Qin Qin Jingru went out to purchase Daily Necessities and the like.

Gu Ning, like Li Li Xuewu, clocked in and out on time; wearing her uniform with the small pistol Li Li Xuewu had given her clipped at her waist, who would dare approach her?

At a time like this, workers like Li Li Xuewu and uniformed personnel like Gu Ning were the least affected; they were very safe.

Li Li Xuewu had considered arranging for someone to stay at home, but doing so would instead make them appear somewhat guilty.

Besides, the house was small, and with cadres coming and going all around, it would look incongruous and draw attention.

Fortunately, since Qin Qin Jingru and the other didn't go out during the day, and he and Gu Ning returned home at night, there was no immediate need to worry about safety issues.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu speak this way, and combined with what she had observed on the street, Qin Qin Jingru also knew the current situation was unfavorable.

So she told Li Li Xuewu that the vegetables in the family garden were enough to eat, so there was no need to go out to buy them; for anything else, waiting until Saturday to return to Sihe Academy and purchasing everything together at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative by the gate there would be sufficient.

The entire family, facing this situation, unanimously approved this suggestion at dinnertime; even Li Shu, confused and unaware, was made by Tell Baba to raise her hand to express agreement.

Li Shu didn't know that, in her muddled state, she had lost her usual right to go out and play, and could only wander around inside the house.

A child's world is especially small; the living room already seemed very large, while the world outside was all in patches and pieces, not clearly remembered as to where was where.

At dinnertime, Gu Ning still had some reactions; the Old Lady and Qin Qin Jingru could only indulge her and take care of her.

Having just been diagnosed, no one knew what she could eat or couldn't eat; they could only try dish by dish.

Li Li Xuewu also asked Gu Ning if there was anything she wanted to eat, but Gu Ning only shook her head.

Usually, Gu Ning wasn't picky about food and ate everything; this time, however, she was truly stumped.

The Old Lady, however, was very patient, treating Gu Ning's reactions and her slightly apologetic gaze with complete normalcy.

Just as Li Li Xuewu had said, there was no need to pay excessive attention or show overbearing concern for Gu Ning; letting her adapt gradually would be best.

The Old Lady understood Gu Ning's current sense of apology and did not express anything directly; instead, while feeding Li Shu, she discussed with Qin Qin Jingru how to vary the dishes.

Qin Qin Jingru naturally listened to the Old Lady; in the countryside, it was uncommon for a pregnant person to be picky about food, because being picky presupposed having choices, or even having enough to eat.

Some people might not even have enough to fill their bellies; how could they possibly have the conditions to be picky? They would wish to eat heartily precisely because they were pregnant.

Having lived here for a long time, she naturally knew Gu Ning's background, so she understood this kind of reaction from Gu Ning.

However, her kitchen skills were only so-so; she had cooked for her family since childhood, so while she couldn't compare to Sha Zhu, she was still better than Li Li Xuewu.

Plus, with the Old Lady offering guidance nearby, the meals at No. 1 Haiyuncang Courtyard were actually quite acceptable.

Gu Ning wasn't being picky about Qin Qin Jingru's cooking skills; rather, she was reacting to certain flavors.

She herself now felt bitter and aggrieved; why did she have to suffer this ordeal? Wasn't it caused by the person beside her?

Yet looking at his gentle gaze, Gu Ning couldn't bear to glare at him.

After the meal, they resumed the program of Li Shu playing with Tell Baba and Da Mama; the family of three sat in the living room, listening to the radio and drinking tea while playing and frolicking.

Mainly, Gu Ning drank tea, Li Li Xuewu listened to the radio, and the couple watched Li Shu play.

This child always got excited at this time in the evening, holding onto the sofa backrest and running back and forth on it.

Because the sofa was soft and had a backrest, she wasn't afraid of falling, so she vigorously paddled her little feet.

It was just that she was still small; more than half the time after running a lap, she would fall and roll over.

Li Li Xuewu didn't dare sit beside her; he could only sit on the coffee table to guard her, letting her go wild.

Li Shu seemed able to sense Tell Baba and Da Mama's love for her; under their attentive gazes, she could find the reason to play wildly at this moment.

One moment she wanted Tell Baba to hold her to go look at the fish, the next she wanted Tell Baba to hold her to get a toy, and the next she didn't want Tell Baba to hold her at all, wanting to return to the sofa to play.

She vigorously tormented Tell Baba, yet all the while she was earnestly trying to make Da Mama smile.

After helping Qin Qin Jingru tidy up the kitchen, the Old Lady saw the family of three playing happily, so she went to the bathroom.

She took this opportunity to wash up; otherwise, she would have to wait for Qin Qin Jingru to switch shifts with her to coax Li Shu to sleep.

In the evenings, Li Shu wasn't very attached to Qin Qin Jingru; if she got anxious, she would cry, having grown accustomed to watching her fall asleep.

Watching Li Shu go mad now, she didn't mind; the more energy expended, the longer she could sleep at night.

There is a reason children live with the elderly: they both sleep early and rise early, perhaps signifying the overlap of life's trajectory.