Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

The night passed without incident, save for the crackling of the campfire and the alternating footsteps of the sentries.

The next morning, as dawn broke and the chill of the wilderness had not yet dissipated.

Liu Jianguo then got up and ordered the last shift of guards to wake everyone up.

After quickly finishing their dry rations with some hot water, the convoy roared off again. The tracks kicked up dust as they continued their journey northward into the unknown.

For the next two weeks, the convoy slowly traveled north on bumpy dirt and gravel roads. The journey was long and tedious.

Occasionally, when passing through remote towns or military outposts, Wang Ming would get off the vehicle and carefully replenish his supplies of non-perishable vegetables such as potatoes, radishes, and coarse grains using national grain coupons and letters of introduction.

Most of the time, the people could only survive on steamed buns made from two kinds of flour, dried meat, and cornmeal porridge.

The only saving grace was that it was winter, and the temperature in the north was very low. Although I couldn't take a shower, my body wasn't covered in sticky sweat and smelled bad like it was in summer, which made the arduous journey a little more bearable.

That afternoon, the convoy reached a hilly area with potholes on the road and withered shrubs and rocky hills on both sides. The lead vehicle suddenly slowed down and stopped.

Liu Jianguo peered out and saw a thick, withered tree trunk, so thick that it would take two people to hug it, lying across the middle of the road ahead. It was clearly a roadblock placed by someone.

"Damn it, we've run into a bandit king." The driver of the lead car spat.

Liu Jianguo's eyes sharpened, and his gaze quickly swept around the surroundings—the terrain was treacherous, making it easy to set up an ambush; it was far from any village or shop, making it an ideal location for bandits to rob travelers.

Alarm bells rang in his mind; this was no accident, but a premeditated interception.

"All alert!"

Liu Jianguo gave a low shout, not loud, but carrying a chilling killing intent that was clearly transmitted through the car window to every car behind.

Upon receiving the order, the well-trained team members instantly entered combat readiness.

With a series of "clicks," the safety on the rifles and submachine guns was simultaneously released, and the muzzles quickly pointed at the bushes and piles of rocks on both sides of the road.

Li Cheng darted to the lead car, ripped open the rain cover of the heavy machine gun, and expertly cocked it. The dark muzzle swayed from side to side, searching for potential targets. The air instantly filled with the strong smell of gunpowder.

Liu Jianguo drew his pistol, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, staring intently at the dense grass behind the giant tree.

Years of battlefield experience gave him a beast-like intuition for killing intent.

He sensed something there! Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his hand and fired three shots at the patch of grass.

The bullet pierced the grass, and immediately a piercing scream rang out: "Ouch! My leg!" Accompanied by the scream, the grass shook violently.

"beat!"

Liu Jianguo gave the order sternly, and Li Cheng, who had been waiting for the right moment, immediately pulled the trigger.

"Thump thump thump thump thump—!"

The heavy machine gun roared with a deep, terrifying sound, spitting fire as a hail of bullets instantly covered the patch of grass and the earthen slope behind it.

The withered grass was smashed into pieces, and dirt splattered everywhere. Bright red blood could be vaguely seen shooting out from the barrage of bullets, and the screams came to an abrupt end.

"Cease fire," Liu Jianguo gestured, raising his hand.

The gunfire stopped abruptly, and a deathly silence descended, broken only by lingering smoke.

He pointed to two team members: "You two, stand guard on the left and right, and move the roadblocks away."

Two team members, using the vehicle as cover, quickly moved forward and laboriously moved the heavy tree trunk to the side of the road.

One of them peeked at the impact point, gasped, shook his head at Liu Jianguo, and whispered, "Chief, it's rotten..."

Liu Jianguo understood and fired several more shots at nearby possible hiding places as a reconnaissance mission, but there was no response.

"Attention everyone, take turns providing cover and get through quickly." He judged that even if there were any remaining bandits, they would be too terrified by the devastating blow from the heavy machine gun and would never dare to show their faces again.

The convoy quickly started and drove away from the area; the journey that followed was filled with similar thrills and hardships.

Over the course of nearly a month, the old convoy broke down three or four times. Each time, experienced drivers had to crawl under the vehicles to carry out emergency repairs in the cold wind.

They were attacked by bandits and highwaymen as many as five or six times, on varying scales.

Small. In order to deter and defend themselves, the consumption of bullets is huge; nearly half of the ammunition they carried at the start has already been used up.

Every kilometer of the journey is fraught with unknown dangers.

As the first rays of sunlight illuminated the horizon, the outline of a vast, still-under-construction factory finally appeared on the horizon—the Baotou Steel Plant had arrived.

As the convoy approached, a tall, thin, dark-skinned middle-aged man wearing an old military uniform without collar insignia was waiting at the factory gate with several other people.

Liu Jianguo jumped out of the car, and the other person immediately greeted him warmly, shaking his hand firmly and speaking in a loud voice:

"Hello! You must have had a long journey! I'm Shen Daikui, the director of the Infrastructure Department at Baogang!"

"Liu Jianguo, Deputy Director of the Security Department of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill!" Liu Jianguo also introduced himself.

"Good! Director Liu, brothers, you've worked hard!" Shen Daikui shook Liu Jianguo's hand vigorously, his gaze sweeping over the dusty, weary team members and the bullet-riddled vehicle, his tone sincere:

"The factory is still under construction and conditions are tough. We've cleared out a few adobe houses, prepared large wooden tubs, and already had hot water boiled. Brothers, wash your faces and get rid of your fatigue."

Liu Jianguo looked back at his troops. They were all covered in dust and dirt, their uniforms stained with oil and grime, their lips chapped. Although they stood tall, they were exhausted and had truly reached their limit.

He didn't stand on ceremony any longer and nodded, saying, "Director Shen, thank you for your hospitality." This genuine care was more heartwarming than any polite words.

Shen Daikui was a straightforward man, and he immediately called to a young clerk: "Xiao Zhang, take Director Liu and the comrades to the resettlement site to rest."

He then said to Liu Jianguo, "Director Liu, you all should wash up and rest first, and catch your breath. I'll treat you all to a welcome-back lunch at the factory canteen! You absolutely must come!"

The so-called rooms were actually simple dormitories built of adobe bricks, with large communal beds, but they were kept clean.

Several large wooden tubs, steaming hot, were already prepared. The team members took turns washing up, wiping the dust off their faces with hot towels, and changing into clean underwear. Although they were still tired, their spirits were lifted.

Around noon, guided by the clerk, Liu Jianguo led Li Cheng and others to the factory's small canteen, which was simple yet served as the highest-level reception area.

Shen Daikui warmly invited Liu Jianguo to sit in the seat of honor.