Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

The corridor was quiet and solemn, with occasional people in military uniforms hurrying by, creating an atmosphere completely different from that of the steel rolling mill.

Upon arriving at Zhao Gang's office, before even entering, one could hear Zhao Gang's suppressed anger and rebuke, seemingly criticizing a certain unhealthy trend and the hypocritical behavior of some individuals.

"...This is outrageous! How can we win a modern war with this kind of attitude! Do they have no respect for discipline?!"

The communications officer knocked lightly on the door, and Zhao Gang called out from inside, "Come in!" His voice still carried a hint of anger.

Li Zhenhua pushed open the door and entered, only to see Zhao Gang standing behind his desk, his face ashen, the documents on the desk somewhat messy, clearly having just lost his temper.

Upon seeing that it was Li Zhenhua who entered, Zhao Gang was visibly taken aback. His anger quickly vanished, replaced by surprise and concern.

"Zhenhua? What are you doing here?"

Zhao Gang walked around the desk and came over, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Did you get into trouble again? Or is it with your dad...?"

He subconsciously assumed that Li Zhenhua had encountered some insurmountable trouble, which was why he had come here.

Li Zhenhua quickly put on a sweet smile and greeted him affectionately.

"Uncle Zhao, what are you saying? Can't I just come to see you because I miss you? I heard you were angry just now, what's wrong? Who made you so angry? Come, come, calm down and have some tea to soothe your anger."

As he spoke, he walked familiarly to the coffee table, picked up the thermos, refilled Zhao Gang's teacup with water, and handed it over with both hands.

Zhao Gang was amused by his appearance and felt somewhat helpless. He took the teacup, his expression softened considerably, and he sighed heavily.

"Sigh, some work-related troubles, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Never mind, let's not talk about it."

He waved his hand, clearly not wanting to discuss the internal power struggles and troubles in front of the younger generation, and instead asked...

"Stop with the nonsense. Tell me, what brings you here all of a sudden?"

Li Zhenhua's smile faded, and he spoke seriously.

"Uncle Zhao, I really didn't cause any trouble. I'm the head of the security department at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill now, it's a legitimate job."

"Oh?"

Zhao Gang was somewhat surprised. He looked Li Zhenhua over again, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.

"Good lad, you've made something of yourself! You're a section chief now! Did Sister-in-law Xiuqin arrange this for you?"

"I guess so, I did try my best."

Li Zhenhua gave a vague reply before getting to the point.

"Uncle Zhao, I've come here because I've encountered a problem at work and I'm at a loss. I'd like to ask you for advice."

"Security work? What problems could a steel rolling mill possibly have that could stump a clever little devil like you?"

Zhao Gang took a sip of tea, his tone carrying the teasing tone of an elder.

Li Zhenhua's expression turned serious.

"Uncle Zhao, this might be a bit serious. We've discovered parts of an old radio transmitter, suspected to have been used by enemy agents, in our factory. It doesn't belong to any of our equipment. We've been ordered to solve the case within a limited time, but our department is currently... short-handed and lacks experience. Other departments in the office aren't very cooperative either. I just took office and this has happened to me; I'm completely at a loss. You experienced the war years and have much more experience in this area than we do, so I've taken the liberty of coming here to ask for your guidance. How should we usually approach this kind of case? Or, are there any special points we need to pay attention to?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Gang's relaxed expression vanished completely, replaced by the sharpness and solemnity characteristic of a soldier.

He put down his teacup, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, pondered for a moment, and instead of answering the question directly, asked a crucial question first.

"Zhenhua, tell me the truth, in this case, does your factory, or rather, the higher-ups, want a 'genuine investigation' or a 'quick resolution'?"

Li Zhenhua felt a chill run down his spine and immediately understood the deeper meaning behind Zhao Gang's question.

This is not just a technical issue, but also involves political climate and practical considerations.

Li Zhenhua was taken aback by Zhao Gang's sudden question and instinctively asked back.

"Uncle Zhao, what do you mean by that? What's the difference between 'genuine investigation' and 'quick settlement'?"

Zhao Gang leaned forward slightly, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, looked sharply at Li Zhenhua, and spoke in a deep voice.

"The difference is huge. Zhenhua, you're not a child anymore, you're a cadre, you need to consider reality."

He paused, then explained in detail.

"The so-called 'quick fix' is nothing but face-saving. Find a pretext, like claiming the parts are scrap left over from years ago, or pinning the blame on someone who has left the factory and is now dead and can't be identified, write a report, and downplay the seriousness of the matter. What the higher-ups want is stability, to quickly eliminate the panic caused by the sensitive word 'enemy agent.' If you report it this way, the factory leaders are satisfied, the department is relaxed, and you've 'quickly solved the case,' and everyone's happy. But this is just fooling around, just going through the motions."

"What about 'True Investigation'?"

Li Zhenhua pressed for further details.

"A real investigation?"

Zhao Gang looked serious.

"That means setting aside all distractions and investigating thoroughly! No matter who is involved, no matter how much resistance we encounter, we must dig out the truth. This may mean offending a lot of people, or that the investigation may turn out to be a false alarm, a wasted effort, or even... uncovering a deeply hidden enemy. But the shock and subsequent handling that would be something a mere section chief like you might not be able to handle. This path is difficult, and may even be thankless."

Li Zhenhua spoke with almost no hesitation, his voice firm and resolute.

"Uncle Zhao, is there even a choice? Of course, we must investigate thoroughly! If my dad knew I was trying to shirk responsibility or smooth things over in this kind of matter, he'd break my legs! The security department's job is to ensure safety. If we discover a potential hazard, how can we let it slide just for our own convenience? We must investigate it thoroughly!"

Looking at the unwavering determination and youthful vigor in Li Zhenhua's eyes, Zhao Gang smiled with satisfaction and approval, and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

"Good! Good lad! You've got ambition! No wonder you're your father's son, you've got a sense of responsibility! Uncle Zhao was right about you!"

He pondered for a moment, clearly considering practical help for Li Zhenhua.

"Since you've decided to really investigate, you can't do it alone; you'll need professional help. Here's what I'll do: I'll call my old comrade at the Ministry of Public Security in a bit and have them send one or two experts in forensic science and radio analysis to come over under the guise of technical support and take a look at the scene and that part, like this..."

"No! Please don't! Uncle Zhao!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhenhua was so frightened that he quickly waved his hand to interrupt.

"The Ministry of Public Security? That's terrifying! This case isn't even started yet, and they've already alerted experts from the ministry? If our factory director Yang finds out, he'll have a heart attack! Our section chief will probably have to fawn over me every day. This is too conspicuous, absolutely not!"

Zhao Gang was amused by his reaction, but also understood his concerns and offered a compromise.

"Then... should I contact the Municipal Public Security Bureau and ask them to send some men?"

Li Zhenhua shook his head again, looking distressed.

"Uncle Zhao, he's at the bureau level, a big shot to our factory. If we make such a fuss and it turns out to be a false alarm, where will I put my face? What will the people in the factory think of me? They'll definitely think I'm messing around because of my connections. It's better to keep a low profile."

Zhao Gang looked at Li Zhenhua's conflicted expression, as if saying, "A small temple can't accommodate a great bodhisattva," and smiled helplessly. He leaned back in his chair and spread his hands.

"Well, there's no other way. Going down any further? The district public security bureau? The branch bureau? I really don't know anyone there. With my position, Uncle Zhao, the people I deal with are at least at the headquarters or general level. I really don't have any contact with anyone below that level."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhenhua was left speechless, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Only then did he truly realize how high Zhao Gang's rank was.

The Public Security Bureau, which was already a behemoth to him and the steel mill, was considered a "downward assignment" to Zhao Gang. He really didn't need to and had no time to deal with the lower-level departments.