Searching for someone in northern Myanmar, and you call that earning tuition fees?

Li Changfeng stood in the library corridor, holding his phone in his hand, his palms sweaty.

He held the rubber baton tightly under his armpit, it was almost deformed.

He panicked.

If he makes this call and mispronounces even one word, his brand-new security guard uniform could be replaced with a striped prison uniform tomorrow.

"bite."

Su Ming's phone screen lit up with a bank notification that money had been deposited into his account.

Su Ming glanced at it, his lips twitched slightly, but he quickly composed himself and returned to his indifferent state.

He put away his phone and reached out to pat Li Changfeng's stiff shoulder.

"Brother Li, the money's here. It's your turn to make the call."

Li Changfeng was startled and looked at Su Ming with a chill running down his spine.

"Su Ming, you...you really want to do this?"

Li Changfeng's throat was dry.

"That's the Xishan Command Post! You're exploiting the country! And you're even exploiting the Xishan Command Post, which is at that level!"

"This is called rational allocation of resources."

Su Ming pointed to the still conspicuous Rolls-Royce downstairs, where Gu Changfeng was still standing like a statue waiting for his husband.

"If you take someone's money, you're obligated to solve their problems. Besides, Dr. Chen is a national treasure; bringing him back is your essential need. I'm helping you minimize your losses, understand?"

Su Ming paused, then said sincerely, "This is a win-win situation."

Li Changfeng's eye twitched.

Win-win?

Li Changfeng's face twitched violently, his heart pounding with anxiety. So, after all this, Su Ming got the money, Gu Changfeng had hope, Xishan kept their expert, and he was the only one caught in the middle, the sole sucker?

He took a deep breath and, with a death wish, dialed the number that could only be connected via a red encrypted line.

"Beep...beep..."

The call was connected.

A steady voice came from the other end of the phone, hoarse from years of fighting and yelling.

"Changfeng, what's wrong? Did that little devil cause trouble again? If he blew up the school, don't report it, just deduct his credits."

Li Changfeng felt a chill run down his spine, and instinctively straightened his back even more, trying to resist that invisible pressure.

He cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound more reliable, but his voice cracked as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Reporting to the commander... No, he didn't cause any trouble! It's just... Comrade Su Ming's ideological awareness has suddenly undergone a qualitative leap, and he has taken the initiative to request to serve the country!"

There was a three-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Only the hissing sound of electricity could be heard.

"Li Changfeng, you've been drinking during work hours?" The old general's voice turned cold.

"No! Absolutely not!" Li Changfeng quickly stood up straight and hurriedly reported, "There is an emergency! Gu Changfeng of the Gu Group has requested Su Ming to go to Tanzania, Africa, to rescue Dr. Chen, a rare earth expert who has gone missing."

"I know about this," the old general said gravely. "The situation over there is chaotic, and it's giving me a headache. So, Su Ming is going?"

"Yes...yes," Li Changfeng added quickly, forcing a smile, "but he has a condition."

"Speak! Do you need equipment? Do you need support? As long as you can bring Dr. Chen back, I'll send him a special operations team!"

"No..." Li Changfeng swallowed hard, feeling his throat tighten. He continued his report, word by word, his voice dry: "He...he gave this operation a name: 'Unofficial Overseas High-Risk Asset Preservation Operation'."

Speak like a human.

"He received 300 million yuan from Gu Changfeng, after tax. Then he demanded that the Xishan Command provide him with intelligence support and... a high-value personal accident insurance policy."

"The beneficiary is... Sunshine Welfare Home."

There was a ten-second silence.

Immediately afterwards, a deafening roar exploded!

"Li Changfeng!!"

"Did you take a kickback?! Three hundred million to bribe you?! Isn't this blatantly treating our Xishan Command Center like an outsourcing company, covering up for his crappy side job?!"

Li Changfeng held the phone a foot away from his ear, his face contorted with distress as he repeatedly pleaded with the person on the other end, "Sir, please let me explain! This kid said... he said only he can get in. And he only wants cash, not honor."

The roaring on the other end of the phone suddenly stopped, followed by a few heavy breathing sounds. A few seconds later, there was a "click" of a cigarette being lit and a sigh of relief.

The old general was forcing himself to calm down.

Intelligence indicates that the situation in Tanzania is complex, and conventional forces are limited and unable to penetrate deeply. Dr. Chen's crucial technology cannot be compromised. If a civilian were to enter under the guise of "private security"...

"How much insurance coverage does he want?" the old general asked.

"According to...according to the highest standard." Li Changfeng answered cautiously, "He said that if he doesn't come back, this money will be enough for the children in the orphanage to go through primary school all the way to university graduation."

The old general snorted, his voice filled with annoyance: "That little bastard, he almost threw the abacus beads at my face!"

"Tell him I approved it!"

"Intelligence is shared in real time via encrypted channels. I'll buy him double the insurance! But if he loses him or gets himself stranded in Africa, I'll send you, Li Changfeng, to Lop Nur to grow watermelons for the rest of your life!"

"Yes!" Li Changfeng stood at attention and saluted, his back already soaked with sweat.

After hanging up the phone, Li Changfeng slumped against the wall like a wilted eggplant.

Su Ming was leaning against the railing, holding a vocabulary book in his hand, muttering to himself, "Compromise..."

He closed the book and raised an eyebrow at Li Changfeng: "All done?"

"It's done." Li Changfeng waved his hand weakly and complained, "You're a bastard, Su Ming, really."

"Thank you for the compliment." Su Ming turned and walked downstairs, saying, "Let's go, Consultant Li, take me to buy some equipment."

Li Changfeng followed instinctively, asking weakly, "Where to buy it? The armory? I don't have that authority. My authority is only to open the school gate."

Su Ming stopped and looked back at him, his eyes filled with pity for the outdated tactical thinking.

"No need for an armory."

"Go to the school store."