Chapter 117: Little Rain in Peril

As soon as Deputy Director Li left, Chen Liang proudly spread out four large cloth bags in front of his master uncle like a treasure.

“Look, old man, see what this is?”

With only Chen Liang and his master uncle left in the office, Chen Liang grew quite bold. He slouched into his chair, crossed one leg over the other, and pulled out a new teacup from the side to pour himself a cup of hot tea.

Seeing this, his master uncle scolded him for being so careless all day long but, unusually, let it slide.

Curious, he leaned over the cloth bags and touched a bundle of large black bills. “Nothing went wrong on the way, right?”

“Old man, you don’t trust me when I handle things? Ever since I found this money, it hasn’t once left my sight!”

“Not bad, you little brat, you’ve grown up a lot and become more sensible.” Then his master uncle pointed at the bags, “Carry them on your back. This stuff is like a ticking time bomb—just sitting there is a hazard. Better hand it back to finance as soon as possible!”

On the way, Chen Liang boldly displayed the cash in the bags. Meeting others’ gazes, he held his head high with an expression full of disdain.

Look at that, such a fuss over nothing, everyone was so anxious, and now the stolen money has been recovered safely.

After securely returning the money to the finance department, under the watchful eyes of the two section chiefs, Chen Liang pulled out a written announcement from his pocket.

He never forgot promises. That evening, as the end-of-shift bell rang, the entire Red Star Rolling Mill echoed with the clear, melodious voice of the radio announcer.

Chen Liang’s report focused on praising the two finance section chiefs, who, to comfort the workers, were willing to tarnish their own reputations in order to buy time for the Security Department to solve the case.

After all, when everyone carries the sedan chair, complimenting others won’t cost a thing. Naturally, Chen Liang wrote exactly what he thought was appropriate.

Since his clothes had been soaked earlier, Chen Liang was still wearing his security uniform when he prepared to pick up Xiaoyu to go home.

But just as he stepped outside the factory gate, he spotted the two fools, Xiao Wangba and Er Gongzi, crouching by the curb, looking drenched.

Seeing them like that, Chen Liang was furious. He stormed over, grabbed them by their collars, and scolded, “Are you idiots? You come all this way and don’t even come find me? How did you not freeze to death, you two numbskulls?”

After speaking, he took them back to the gate’s reception room and poured each a cup of hot water to warm up.

“Drink up, then hurry home and change. Tonight, I’m in a good mood—I'll take you both out for a nice meal!”

“Brother Liang, so cool! So, are we having roast duck or hotpot tonight?” Xiao Wangba, a glutton, couldn’t stop talking about food, just like Chen Hong.

“Donglaishun! Wait for me at home. I have to pick up Xiaoyu now. After you finish your water, head back, got it?”

The shift ended late, and with the walk ahead, Chen Liang worried Xiaoyu might get anxious and go home first, so he hurried off after giving clear instructions.

When Chen Liang arrived at the library, it had closed quite a while ago and Xiaoyu was nowhere to be seen at the entrance.

He knew immediately that Xiaoyu must have thought he was too busy with work to pick her up, so she left on her own.

Although Xiaoyu was directionally challenged, she still knew the way home. Muttering a curse under his breath, Chen Liang quickly set off along the route to find her.

Meanwhile, after work, Xiaoyu waited at the reception room for a while, but seeing Chen Liang hadn’t come to pick her up, she pouted unhappily and walked home alone.

Passing a dark, narrow alley—the only way home—Xiaoyu, as usual, skipped happily, humming an unknown tune, and walked straight in.

Soon after she entered the alley, two men suddenly appeared from behind and followed her inside. Ahead, two more men came towards her, one after the other. Surrounded by four men, Xiaoyu found herself trapped.

In broad daylight, Xiaoyu didn’t think much and continued walking cheerfully like a little bird.

As she neared the two men ahead, they suddenly stepped sideways and blocked her path.

Stopped abruptly, Xiaoyu frowned, her face tightening with displeasure. “What do you want?”

After speaking, she took a step back and noticed two more men behind her. Fear crept into her heart.

Though Xiaoyu was a bit naive, she wasn’t truly foolish. She could see that these four men had planned this ambush deliberately to corner her.

Her small hand quietly slipped into her handbag, tightly gripping the cold metal of her pistol. Only this icy handgun brought her a faint sense of warmth.

Since Chen Liang had helped her obtain a firearm permit, Xiaoyu had kept the pistol in her bag at all times, ready for emergencies. Who would have thought she’d need it today?

The four men surrounding the curvy, alluring Xiaoyu suddenly felt their mouths go dry.

“Hehe! Nothing much, we just want to be friends with you!” one of them slurred, smelling strongly of alcohol, his flushed, pig-like cheeks revealing he’d been drinking heavily.

“Go away! I don’t want to know you. My husband is Chen Liang, an officer in the Security Department of Red Star Rolling Mill. Watch out or he’ll deal with you,” Xiaoyu said fiercely, baring her claws like an angry kitten.

“Security Department? Big deal! I’m from the Security Department at the First Printing Factory!” the drunken youth retorted.

At this moment, the drunk young man was completely captivated by Xiaoyu’s fierce yet adorable demeanor, paying no mind to some nobody security officer.

“Comrade, we mean no harm. We just want to be friends. We’re not bad people!” another, slightly more sober youth said, trembling inside upon hearing Xiaoyu’s words.

There are ranks even within security departments. Their own at the First Printing Factory was less than ten people, without a single gun, let alone any law enforcement authority.

But the Security Department at Red Star Rolling Mill—any resident of Old Forty-Nine City knew that—it was a force to be reckoned with, powerful and well-armed, strong enough to make even the city police bureau tread lightly.

Rumor had it that the Red Star Rolling Mill’s armory even housed one or two Italian cannons—enough to scare anyone stiff.

Chen Liang could attest to this; the armory indeed contained two 75-millimeter artillery pieces affectionately called “Miss 75.”