Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

As soon as Liu Jianguo stepped out of the meeting room, he vaguely heard Secretary Nie pick up the phone inside, presumably to personally communicate with his old comrade-in-arms from the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Back in his office, Liu Jianguo leaned back in his chair, his nerves, which had been tense for days, finally relaxing, but he felt a strange restlessness and emptiness in his body.

He glanced at his strong arms, and suddenly an idea struck him. He casually rolled up his left sleeve and rubbed it vigorously near his elbow, creating a noticeable red mark that looked like a sprain or abrasion.

He then got up and headed towards the factory clinic. This was a pretext that killed two birds with one stone.

Liu Jianguo frowned when he was still more than ten meters away from the infirmary.

Good heavens, a small queue had formed at the door, and the room was packed with people, buzzing with discussion, and filled with a strange smell of cheap tobacco and sweat.

He listened intently and heard nothing but comments about Dr. Ding, Zhen Shuiling, and whether she had a boyfriend or not, interspersed with a few suppressed laughs.

Liu Jianguo immediately understood that Ding Qiunan's striking appearance had attracted the attention of the group of energetic but impulsive young men in the factory, who were constantly trying to find ways to go to the clinic, not because they were really there for medical treatment.

This is outrageous! If this continues, what will become of production order? The workers' minds are all wandering here; what is the security department doing?

Liu Jianguo's face darkened, and without saying a word, he turned and walked back.

Just as I turned the corner, I ran into Li Bing walking towards me.

"Li Bing!"

Liu Jianguo shouted, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority.

Upon seeing him, Li Bing quickly jogged over, a smile plastered on his face.

"Director, you're back! You must be tired from your journey..."

Liu Jianguo interrupted him directly, pointing in the direction of the infirmary, his tone stern:

"Enough with the talk. Explain yourself. What's going on at the infirmary? Is this acceptable? This is incredibly disrespectful! What will our other units think of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill if word gets out? Female employees have to be harassed like this to work? Is our security department just for show?"

Li Bing was sweating profusely from the question and stammered, unable to speak.

Liu Jianguo waved his hand, too lazy to listen to his explanation anymore: "Don't just stand there! Call a dozen men right now, grab your weapons, and come with me! I want to see who's got so much free time on their hands!"

Li Bing quickly ran to gather the men. Soon, fifteen or sixteen security officers had assembled, each with a solemn expression.

Liu Jianguo glanced at it and said in a deep voice, "Let's go!"

The group walked towards the infirmary in a grand procession. Halfway there, Liu Jianguo suddenly remembered something and instructed Li Bing:

"You, go to the propaganda department and borrow their big loudspeaker!"

Li Bing responded and left, quickly returning with a tin megaphone in his arms.

When the group arrived at the entrance of the infirmary, the young workers in line fell silent upon seeing this and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Liu Jianguo took the loudspeaker, pressed the switch, tested the sound, and then spoke into the crowd. His voice, transmitted through the electrical current, carried a cold, authoritative tone:

"Listen up! I'm Liu Jianguo, the deputy director of the security department! You all know what you're doing huddled here! I'm giving you a chance. If you're not really here for medical treatment, get back to your workshops immediately! I'll count to three. Anyone still here will be treated as faking illness, absenteeism, and harassing female employees! The security department will record your names on the spot and send them to your workshops and the factory office. Depending on the severity of the offense, you'll be punished. Serious cases will result in demotion, pay cuts, and a record in your personnel file! One!"

"two!"

Liu Jianguo's voice was devoid of emotion. Before he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in chaos. Looking at Liu Jianguo's cold, iron-faced expression, then at the dozen or so security officers behind him, their hands on their belts, all glaring menacingly, and then at the loudspeaker that could broadcast the disciplinary decision throughout half the factory... the temptations of watching the spectacle and hoping to find a wife were certainly appealing, but compared to the tangible changes in their wages and the indelible stain on their records, which mattered more? The scales in the young workers' hearts tipped instantly.

With a "whoosh," more than half of the crowd scattered instantly, heads down, faces flushed red, and they slipped away faster than rabbits.

Only the older workers, who looked rather unwell, remained anxiously in place.

The area outside the infirmary suddenly became quiet.

Liu Jianguo led his men into the infirmary. The room, which had been crowded just moments before, suddenly felt much emptier. Only seven or eight elderly workers, whose complexions were not good or who had minor injuries, sat anxiously on the benches waiting.

The smell of disinfectant in the air finally overpowered the smell of sweat.

Ding Qiunan was applying medicine to an old doctor's hands when she heard footsteps. She looked up and her eyes met Liu Jianguo's. A complex emotion flashed in her eyes for a moment: a barely perceptible relief after being rescued, a shyness she always showed when facing him, but more than anything, a panic and unease that she forcibly concealed with a layer of frost.

She quickly lowered her eyelids and continued what she was doing, but her slightly trembling fingertips betrayed her inner turmoil.

Liu Jianguo understood immediately and walked straight over, saying in a businesslike tone, "Comrade Ding Qiunan, put aside your work for now. Come with me to the security office. Those people we brought back a couple of days ago need your help to treat their wounds and do some simple bandaging."

Upon hearing this, Ding Qiunan's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and she replied in a low voice, "Yes, Director Liu."

She put down the cotton swabs, turned and walked towards the medicine cabinet, hurriedly starting to pack up the first-aid kit, the alcohol bottle making a slight clinking sound as it hit the metal box.

Liu Jianguo didn't urge her, but stood aside, looking at her calmly. The invisible pressure made Ding Qiunan feel as if she was being pricked by needles in her back.

She hastily stuffed gauze, tape, mercurochrome, and other items into the suitcase, fastened the buckle, and carried it in her hand. She took a deep breath before turning to Liu Jianguo and saying, "Director, I'm all packed."

"Let's go."

Liu Jianguo gave a brief order, then turned and walked out first.

Ding Qiunan lowered her head, carrying her suitcase, and followed closely behind him like a frightened deer.

The group silently walked through the factory area and arrived at the heavily guarded small building of the security office.

At the end of the corridor were temporary detention cells, guarded by armed officers at the door.

Liu Jianguo told Li Bing and the others to wait outside, while he led Ding Qiunan inside.

The room was dimly lit. Several captured enemy agents, wearing handcuffs and shackles, were sitting or lying down, bearing various marks from the struggle, their eyes either fierce or numb.

Liu Jianguo pointed at them and said to Ding Qiunan, "These are the few. Take a look. If they have wounds and are bleeding, just treat them simply and make sure there are no problems."

Despite her discomfort and fear, Ding Qiunan obeyed and knelt down to begin professionally and silently cleaning, applying medicine, and bandaging them. Her movements were gentle, a stark contrast to the cold surroundings.

Liu Jianguo leaned against the door frame, lit a cigarette, and silently watched all of this, as well as Ding Qiunan's slender yet resilient back.