The little star from the Gobi Desert, handed over to the state, is hailed as a national treasure.

From the start to the end, it took less than a minute. The five thugs lay sprawled on the ground, each screaming in agony.

Sweetie peeked her little head out from her father's arms, looked at the bad guys all over the ground, and clapped her hands excitedly, "Daddy's so awesome! Daddy beat all the bad guys down!"

Liang Zhe smiled and patted his daughter's head.

Seeing this, the onlookers applauded and cheered, "Well done! Those kids are always causing trouble!"

"These scourges should have been arrested long ago!"

Seeing that things were going badly, the thugs scrambled to their knees and begged for mercy: "Comrade, we were wrong! We'll never do it again! Please, have mercy on us!"

Liang Zhe gave them a cold glance. He'd seen plenty of these street thugs—slippery, cunning, bullying the weak and fearing the strong. If he didn't teach them a lesson today, they'd just keep causing trouble. He ignored the group of thugs and turned to the woman beside him: "Comrade, are you alright?"

The woman was clearly stunned by the lightning-fast fight. She looked at Liang Zhe, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, then composed herself, shook her head and smiled at Liang Zhe: "I'm fine, thank you, comrade! If it weren't for you, they would have stolen my bag today."

"It was nothing," Liang Zhe waved his hand, then turned his gaze to the thugs on the ground and coldly said, "So young, with hands and feet, instead of thinking about contributing to the country's development, you're only doing these things that oppress the masses and disrupt public order. You think you can escape the law?"

At this moment, nearby police received a report from the public and rushed over. Upon seeing the group of thugs, they immediately handcuffed them. The officer in charge saluted Liang Zhe and said, "Comrade, thank you so much! These guys are seasoned criminals on the streets, always up to no good. Today we've finally caught them red-handed!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd erupted in even louder applause and chatter, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at Liang Zhe.

The woman thanked Liang Zhe again sincerely, then her gaze fell on Tian Tian in his arms, and her eyes softened instantly: "Little girl, were you scared just now?"

Sweetie shook her head, saying proudly, "No way! I have my dad to protect me, and he's the best!"

The woman was amused by Tian Tian's innocent and adorable appearance. She took out a thickly bound book from her canvas bag and handed it to Tian Tian: "Auntie is a reporter for the Northwest Construction Daily, my name is Shen Ruowen. This book, 'Illustrated Guide to Common Animals and Plants,' was compiled and printed by our newspaper's archives. It contains many pictures of animals and plants, and also labels their names and uses. I'm giving it to the child as a picture book; it's just a small token of my appreciation."

Liang Zhe initially wanted to politely decline the stranger's gift, but upon hearing the words "plants and animals," "names and uses," a thought struck him. Although Tian Tian possessed special abilities, she was still young and her knowledge was limited, often unable to accurately discern what the base urgently needed. If she could learn more through this book, it might be more beneficial for her to utilize her abilities later.

This may seem like an ordinary illustrated guide, but it could have unexpected supplementary value in the future.

He looked down at his daughter. Tian Tian had already curiously taken the book and was quickly attracted by the brightly colored pictures inside, looking at it with great interest.

"Thank you, beautiful auntie! Sweetie loves it!"

Shen Ruowen gently stroked the sweet little face, then turned to Liang Zhe with a smile: "Comrade, I'd like to conduct a brief interview with you regarding today's events. Our *Northwest Construction Daily* is in dire need of such vivid material showcasing the close bond between the military and the people. Would it be convenient for you?"

Liang Zhe frowned, alarm bells ringing in his mind. He had received rigorous security training and possessed a high degree of vigilance and self-discipline. Even if the other party behaved properly and had a legitimate reason, he would never accept any interviews, much less leak any information related to the base.

He shook his head decisively. "I'm sorry, Ms. Shen, we have strict disciplinary regulations that prohibit private interviews. Please forgive me, but I cannot agree."

Shen Ruowen seemed to have expected this. Instead of being angry at being rejected, he nodded understandingly: "I understand. Strict discipline is a fine tradition of the army. I didn't think it through."

She took out a business card from her bag and handed it to Liang Zhe with both hands. "But please at least accept my business card. If your organization has any stories suitable for public reporting about military-civilian unity or achievements in construction, please feel free to contact me through the newspaper. We are happy to contribute to the construction of the country and promote righteousness."

This time, Liang Zhe did not refuse. He reached out and took the business card, nodding to the other party: "Thank you for your understanding, Comrade Shen."

Shen Ruowen said a few more words of encouragement to Tiantian before turning to leave.

Liang Zhe, holding Tian Tian, ​​put the business card into his shirt pocket and continued walking towards the supply and marketing cooperative.

He didn't notice that Shen Ruowen, who had already left, hadn't actually gone far. Instead, she was standing on the street corner, her gaze following the departing figures of the father and daughter, her eyes thoughtful.

Liang Zhe, carrying his daughter, walked along the main street for another five or six minutes. Ahead, a two-story building came into view, and from a distance, a red-painted slogan could be seen on the wall: "Develop the economy, ensure supply!"

A wooden sign hangs nearby, bearing five large characters: "Red Star Supply and Marketing Cooperative".

This is the most concentrated area of ​​goods and the busiest place in town. A long wooden counter runs across the hall, behind which are shelves reaching the ceiling, neatly arranged with various goods: grains, oils, cloth, firewood, salt, needles, thread, and so on. Glass jars contain scarce candies and biscuits, and sacks of grain and farm tools are piled up in the corner.

Even though it was afternoon, many people were still coming and going, selecting suitable goods from the counters.

Liang Zhe carried Tian Tian towards the grocery counter. Five or six middle-aged women carrying bamboo baskets were gathered around. A saleswoman in blue overalls slowly and methodically organized the shelves, her attitude indifferent and reserved, as if selling even one more item was a great favor to the customers.

Liang Zhe glanced at the counter and first selected biscuits, canned goods, malted milk powder, etc. Then he noticed two bags of milk powder in the corner. These were in high demand at the time, and you couldn't buy them without connections.

"Comrade, could you please take these two bags of milk powder?"

The sales clerk raised an eyelid and said lazily, "Sorry, these two bags are already sold."

"Sold?" Liang Zhe asked, puzzled. "Isn't it in the counter?"

"It's no use keeping it at the counter; someone else has already ordered it and will come to pick it up later."

"So... is there any formula left?"

"They're long gone."

Liang Zhe had never encountered this situation before and felt somewhat regretful, but since the other party was adamant about not selling, there was nothing he could do.

He took out his money and egg coupons: "Then I'll buy ten catties of eggs."

The sales clerk took the money, pinched it between two fingers, and snorted, "Not enough, you're four yuan short."

"Isn't it six cents a pound?"

"Six cents?" The salesperson scoffed. "I bet you guys in military uniforms don't know the market price. There are fewer chickens and fewer eggs now, it's already gone up to a dollar a pound."