Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

Liu Jianguo stood by the window of the small conference room, gazing solemnly at the gray sky outside.

Less than twenty minutes later, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor.

The door was pushed open, and Zhao Guang and Liu Jiefang, along with several investigators, walked in with grim expressions, their clothes wrapped in old work uniforms and several packages of different sizes in their arms.

"Chief, we've found everything. It's hidden deep under that abandoned seepage pool behind Warehouse No. 3, covered with tarpaulins and tattered burlap sacks."

"Open it carefully," Liu Jianguo ordered as he walked to the conference table.

The investigators carefully placed the package on the table and removed the tattered work clothes used as a disguise.

Inside, several aluminum lunch boxes printed with red peonies, several tin cans of Daqianmen cigarettes, and several palm-sized squares tightly wrapped with moisture-proof tarpaulins were visible.

An investigator picked up a lunchbox and tried to pry open the lid with both hands. Liu Jianguo's heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of danger washed over him like ice water.

"Don't move, stop."

He shouted a stern rebuke, his voice unusually tense, and everyone froze instantly, looking at him in confusion.

Liu Jianguo stared intently at the seemingly ordinary lunch boxes and cigarette cans, his mind racing. Aluminum lunch boxes, cigarette cans... these are the most common things in the factory, why make a kitchen helper take such a big risk and smuggle them in again and again?

If it's just about smuggling in some personal agenda, there are plenty of more discreet and convenient ways to do it.

This sense of incongruity... this elaborate act of hiding ordinary items...

Unless, they are not ordinary objects at all, a terrible conjecture came to mind.

Cold sweat almost instantly soaked Liu Jianguo's back.

He acted decisively, issuing orders quickly and clearly, each word like a hammer blow:

"Zhao Guang, you personally take two people in a jeep and return to the Municipal Bureau as quickly as possible. Report to Director Tang Dahu that a highly suspected explosive device has been discovered here and request immediate assistance from bomb disposal experts."

"Hurry, not a second can be wasted. Wang Weiguo, go and immediately fetch Factory Director Yang, Secretary Niu, and Section Chief Sun. Meet them at the abandoned material warehouse on the far west side of the factory area. It's open and relatively safe there. Go quickly."

On the empty cement ground of the abandoned warehouse, Director Yang, Secretary Niu, and others rushed over, their faces filled with surprise and doubt.

Liu Jianguo cut straight to the point without any pleasantries, his tone heavy:

"Distinguished leaders, the situation is urgent. Qi Wen, the canteen helper we have apprehended, has repeatedly smuggled suspicious items into the factory through bribery, hiding them in various locations. The items are common items such as lunch boxes and cigarette cans, but the methods of concealment and transportation are highly unusual."

Based on my experience, I strongly suspect that there is an explosive device inside.

For safety reasons, I have urgently dispatched personnel back to the Municipal Bureau to request bomb disposal experts to come and assess the situation. Until the experts arrive and confirm safety, all leaders are requested to remain in this location and not approach the original conference room area.

Secretary Niu's face turned deathly pale, and his voice trembled:

"A bomb...a bomb? Then...should we sound the alarm immediately and evacuate all the factory workers?"

Liu Jianguo shook his head and calmly analyzed the situation:

"We can't act rashly. If it's a time bomb, blindly sounding evacuation alarms and having people run could trigger an accident. If it's remotely controlled, a large-scale operation would only alert the enemy. The most dangerous places right now are the original conference room and those unopened packages. None of us are professionals; if we act rashly and cause an explosion due to operational errors, the consequences would be unimaginable. We must wait for the experts."

Time slowly ticked by in anxious waiting. Nearly an hour later, the sound of screeching brakes came from outside.

Zhao Guang led three people who were wearing dark blue bomb disposal suits, heavy bomb helmets, and carrying silver special equipment cases into the room.

Liu Jianguo immediately stepped forward, shook hands firmly with the expert leading the team, and said succinctly:

"Experts, thank you for your hard work. The suspicious item is in the small conference room at the factory headquarters. The situation is unclear. Thank you for your help."

The expert leading the team nodded, his voice muffled and steady beneath his mask:

"Director Liu, lead the way. The rest of you, please move to a safe distance."

Led by Liu Jianguo, the three experts quickly returned to the small conference room area with their equipment, while everyone else was asked to retreat more than 100 meters away.

The experts picked up aluminum lunch boxes, cigarette cans, and other items and examined them carefully.

A moment later, the expert leading the team came out, removed his mask, and with an extremely solemn expression, said in a deep voice to Liu Jianguo and the factory leaders who were waiting at a safe distance:

"Confirmed. It's a bomb, and a rather complex mechanical timed explosive device, powerful enough to destroy this entire row of bungalows. Luckily, you didn't dismantle it yourself."

Secretary Niu's legs went weak, and he was supported by Factory Director Yang beside him, his voice trembling:

"So what do we do now? Should we evacuate?"

The bomb disposal expert waved his hand, his tone professional and calm:

"Based on current testing, the timing mechanism has not yet been activated and is in an unactivated state, but its structure is unstable and extremely sensitive. Moving it rashly carries a great risk. We need specialized explosion-proof containers and tools, and it must be disassembled in a specialized workshop. We cannot operate here. Please immediately arrange for a perfectly stable transport vehicle and clear a clear route to the Municipal Bureau."

Liu Jianguo and the factory leaders agreed to the expert's plan without hesitation.

Under the remote command of experts, investigators, clad in heavy protective gear, slowly and steadily transferred the dangerous packages into specially made boxes. Afterwards, Zhao Guang personally led several colleagues in a transport vehicle with flashing police lights, escorted by police cars in front and behind, slowly driving away from the factory area towards the municipal police station.

As the convoy drove away, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but Liu Jianguo's brows furrowed even more.

He said to the still-shaken factory leaders:

"Director Yang, Secretary Niu, although the bomb has been recovered, the potential danger may not be eliminated. We are unsure whether Qi Wen was the only transporter, or whether other similar bombs have been smuggled into the factory and hidden elsewhere. A thorough investigation is necessary."

Secretary Niu was filled with lingering fear and nodded repeatedly:

"Yes, yes, Director Liu is very thoughtful. Old Sun, immediately gather the entire factory's security department and militia company, and cooperate with the investigation team to conduct a thorough search of all workshops, warehouses, offices, vacant rooms, and even toilets. No corner should be overlooked. Hurry."

Sun Bing, the head of the security department, loudly accepted the order and left.

At the same time, Liu Jianguo interrogated Qi Wen again, who was ashen-faced and almost paralyzed, getting straight to the point with a chilling tone:

"Qi Wen, the bomb has been confirmed. If you want to live, you'd better tell me the truth. Who was your contact? Where was the transaction?"