Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

Liang Tiejun was taken aback at first.

"...The Soviet Union?"

Zhao Shanhe didn't speak, he just looked at him.

Liang Tiejun's brows furrowed immediately:

"It's not that the Soviet Union doesn't have experts in this field. But you know what kind of people the Russians are. They can sell us machines and give us furs, but when it comes to their most valuable technology and personnel, they're more wary of us than they are of thieves."

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice became hoarse:

"Otherwise, why didn't Director Li approach the Soviets in the first place, instead choosing to go through the roundabout route of asking Hong Kong people? To put it bluntly, that straightforward route was blocked. Besides, going to the Soviets now involves going through procedures, building connections, getting approvals, and crossing the line—every step takes time."

"What we lack most right now is time. If Liang Jiajun dies, all those machines in the factory will be out of commission tomorrow, and those people outside will be able to make a fuss about it the day after. By the time you bring the Soviet experts over, the Red Star Factory will be long gone."

The corridor fell silent for a moment.

After listening, Zhao Shanhe shook his head:

"That's not the way."

Liang Tiejun was taken aback.

Zhao Shanhe took the half-eaten Hongtashan cigarette out of his mouth, stubbed it out on the tin trash can by the wall, and said:

I'm going home.

"Let's see if we can connect this line."

Upon hearing this, Liang Tiejun was stunned.

Da Niu and Er Ga Zi both looked up at Zhao Shanhe, but neither of them said a word.

Liang Tiejun stared at him for a long while before finally managing to squeeze out a sentence:

"...Is there really a chance?"

Zhao Shanhe raised his eyes:

"There's a chance."

"Whether it will work or not, I can't guarantee it right now. But we have to try this path."

As soon as those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the corridor, which was on the verge of collapse, was finally brought back to a halt.

Liang Tiejun's Adam's apple bobbed, and just as he was about to ask another question, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps suddenly came from the end of the corridor.

The sound was heavy and hard, and when you stepped on the terrazzo floor, it carried a scent that seemed to come straight at you.

Several people turned their heads almost simultaneously.

At the other end of the corridor, three men in woolen coats walked briskly towards them.

The man at the very front was in his forties, with a thin, long face, droopy eyelids, a pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and downturned lips, giving him a naturally gloomy and mean appearance.

Two men from the municipal bureau followed behind him, their waists bulging and their faces grim.

Before the person even got close, their gaze had already swept around the corridor.

The gaze swept over Liang Tiejun, over Li Baotian whose hands were covered in blood, over Da Niu whose face was deathly pale, and finally landed on Zhao Shanhai, who was struggling on the gurney with a stinky sock stuffed in his mouth.

Without stopping, he walked closer before turning his gaze to Zhao Shanhe's face. He spoke rapidly, his voice carrying an undeniable official air: "You're Zhao Shanhe, the new factory director of Hongxing Machinery Factory?"

Zhao Shanhe nodded.

The man pulled out his ID from his overcoat, flashed it forward, and then pulled it back. The words he spoke came down like shards of ice: "Xu Xiangdong, Municipal Public Security Bureau, Public Security Division."

"This case has been registered in the city, and it's now under our jurisdiction."

He pointed at Zhao Shanhai on the bed, leaving no room for negotiation: "I'm taking him away now."

"What happened at the scene, where the gun was, and who was present—we'll take statements from each of you later."

"No one is leaving this house until the matter is fully investigated. Keep your mouths shut until I have a question for you."

Xu Xiangdong walked to the door of the emergency room, first glancing at the still-on light, then at the several people covered in blood beside it, his face hardening with coldness: "Who's lying inside?"

Da Niu's eyes were still red, and he immediately retorted, "They're from our village!"

"He was shot and wounded!"

Xu Xiangdong didn't even spare a glance for Da Niu, instead turning his head to stare at the doctor who hadn't yet left.

The doctor froze, his face turning pale. He stammered, "Comrade, it's not that we don't know the rules. The person was almost completely drained of blood when they arrived... Besides, they're from the Red Star Machinery Factory. Their factory director personally vouched for them, which is why we dared to take them on..."

Xu Xiangdong didn't even lift his eyelids, and scoffed coldly: "The factory manager guarantees it? What use is his guarantee?"

He stared at the doctor, his tone as cold as a knife: "Since he's not dead yet, we have to wait for the police to arrive and confirm. Would someone die if they were brought into the operating room a mere ten minutes later? Can't you even wait those ten minutes?"

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

Da Niu completely exploded, taking a step forward and charging forward, his chest heaving violently: "The person is almost dead, and instead of trying to save him, you're just waiting for me to come and collect his body?!"

The officer from the municipal bureau immediately frowned and took a step forward: "Watch your words!"

"This isn't your village!"

"The people standing in front of you are from the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Public Security Division!"

The big ox gritted its teeth, trying to push again, but Zhao Shanhe stepped forward and blocked its way.

He looked at Xu Xiangdong, his voice not loud, but as cold as a knife scraping iron:

"You guys are quite good at following the rules."

"Then let me ask you—"

"Liang Jiajun is a grown man, and when he was kidnapped and taken out of the city, where were the people from your city bureau?"

"The person is already dead, and you're not going to investigate the scene, not chasing after the escapees, and not asking where the gun is."

"Instead, they came to the hospital to cause trouble for the doctors and the injured."

Zhao Shanhe took a half step forward, his eyes fixed on Xu Xiangdong:

"Is this all your police station is capable of?"

These few words were spoken lightly and casually, yet each word felt like a needle, piercing deep into one's lungs.

The young police officer's face flushed red instantly, and the veins in his neck bulged: "You fucking—"

He rushed forward in one step and shoved Zhao Shanhe hard in the chest!

Zhao Shanhe didn't even move his heels, but thrust his chest forward!

boom!

This was really scary, like running headlong into a wall.

The police officer never expected Zhao Shanhe to fight back, nor did he expect the blow to be so heavy. He lost his balance on the spot, took two steps back, and slammed his back hard against the iron chair at the side of the corridor. The chair leg scraped against the terrazzo floor with a screeching sound.

He tumbled out awkwardly, his elbow hitting the ground, and his face turned blue from the pain.

"Ma Kui!" Another city bureau officer behind him suddenly changed his expression and quickly stepped forward.

Ma Kui, filled with shame and rage, struggled to his feet, his face turning a deep purplish-red. Pointing at Zhao Shanhe, he roared, "You fucking dare assault a police officer!!"

Zhao Shanhe stood still, bowing his head to brush off the dust that had been knocked off the front of his cotton-padded jacket.

He didn't even lift his eyelids, but a mocking smile played on his lips, and his voice even sounded somewhat "concerned": "Assaulting a police officer?"

"You can't just say that carelessly. I'm just an ordinary citizen, I can't afford to be accused of that."

Zhao Shanhe slowly raised his eyes, looked at Ma Kui, whose face was red and neck thick, and shook his head helplessly: "Officer, you were the one who pushed me first. I didn't even lift my hand. It's your own weakness that made you fly away with the slightest touch."

He took a small step forward and said sincerely, "You should eat more meat to nourish your body. It breaks my heart to see you so frail when you fly away."

Zhao Shanhe stared at Ma Kui's face, which had turned a deep purplish-red, and added in a measured tone, "Besides, we ordinary people still need you police officers to protect us in the future. With your small frame, what would you do if you encountered a stronger thug?"

As soon as he said that, the corridor fell into a deathly silence.

Ma Kui's face contorted from those insults, his eyes turning a frightening red. He reached for his waist, ready to pounce: "I'll fuck you—"

"Ma Kui!" Xu Xiangdong shouted suddenly, his voice as cold as a knife cutting down.

Ma Kui froze, the rest of the swear word stuck in his throat.

Xu Xiangdong's face was so dark it could drip water, he stared intently at Ma Kui, his eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses seeming to want to tear him apart: "Who told you to make the first move?! Get out of my way!"

Ma Kui's chest heaved violently, his teeth almost grinding to powder, but his eyes remained fixed on Zhao Shanhe, as if he wanted to bite him to death.

Xu Xiangdong stopped looking at him and slowly turned his face back to Zhao Shanhe.

This time, the disdain in his eyes was completely gone.

Xu Xiangdong stared at Zhao Shanhe, his eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses dark and gloomy.

Two seconds later, he spoke, his voice very low:

"Zhao Shanhe, are you trying to escalate this?"

……

Sorry for the long wait!

I encountered a huge traffic jam while paying respects to my ancestors during the Qingming Festival, and I didn't get to my computer until 6 p.m. I've really been out of sorts these past few days; my brain is completely blank, and I'm so stuck on writing that I feel like banging my head against the wall.

I also want to be fast, but to make sure everyone enjoys reading, I'd rather spend a few more hours working on it and update less frequently.

Please forgive me, everyone! /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~