Su Jin headed back early that afternoon to drop off the pig feed. Afterward, he dove straight back into market research and stockpiling supplies, returning home tired as evening fell.
After a quick shower and a change of clothes, he knocked on Fu Qingdai’s front door.
Fu Hu answered. The moment he spotted Su Jin, he smiled as he gestured eagerly inside.
“Director Li, please, come in! Have you eaten? Dinner is just ready.”
Su Jin offered a smile. “I couldn’t possibly impose, Old Fu.”
….
After dinner, the two men lounged on the living room sofa.
Su Jin casually picked his teeth. Zhang Wan served them two cups of hot tea before retreating to the kitchen to wash dishes.
Fu Qingdai had already slipped away to her room to do her homework.
After downing half his tea, Su Jin shifted in his seat and looked at Fu Hu. “Old Fu, I looked into that job placement for you.”
“Oh?” Fu Hu immediately hunched forward, craning his neck toward Su Jin to listen.
Su Jin paused for a moment. He cleared his throat softly, took another sip, and sighed. “This situation of yours… it’s a bit more complicated than I anticipated.”
“That’s…”
“Now, don’t panic.” Su Jin raised a hand to cut him off. “I mean it’s complicated on your end. For me, it’s just a small matter.”
“Ah…” Fu Hu visibly deflated in relief, leaning in even closer.
“Here is the situation. There is a vacancy in the Bureau. But you know how these things go; good jobs don’t stay empty for long, and our bureau is no exception. Because my promotion to Deputy Director is currently pending, I cannot handle your application myself right now. To secure your slot, I need your cooperation. You may need to spend a little…”
Zhang Wan paused washing dishes and listened from the kitchen.
“Director Li, just say the word. How do I cooperate?” Fu Hu asked without missing a beat.
“The director of our bureau is Zhang Zhao. He has a son, a bit older than your girl, and he likes playing with weapons. Right now, my subordinates are being watched, and the Director is surrounded by people loyal to my rival. My strategy is to bypass them using his son. I’ll leverage this connection to secure the job for you in advance.”
“I’ve met the kid. I know he likes archery, but his father did not let him play with bows before. Now that the boy is older and restless, he might enjoy them.” Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping(.)com.
“I need you to procure three compound bows for me: fifty-pound, seventy-pound, and ninety-pound draw weights. Get as many hunting arrows as possible, with the best penetration. Throw in all the archery accessories you can find: laser sights, repeat-shot attachments, the works. But pay attention—this is crucial—every bow and every set of arrows must be a different color.”
“That—that’s a lot!” Fu Hu stammered, genuinely startled. “Three bows and all those arrows? Is he going to war? Hell, I couldn’t even draw a ninety-pounder right now. Is all this really necessary, Director Li?”
“Tsk.” Su Jin looked away in annoyance before snapping his gaze back. “Old Fu, no offense, but you still have a lot to learn about this. You might have years on me, but your grasp of this sort of thing is zero.”
“Do you honestly think I’m giving him all of it? You buy the bows, and then I choose which ones to give him. You’re not thoughtful with your own daughter or about finding work, and now you think giving a gift is a simple matter?”
“Why the color variations? Why the excess? I cannot go buy them myself. You buy plenty in different colors, and I will choose what to give him. It is all psychology… Keep the receipts. Once I make my selection, you return the surplus. Problem solved. Deal done.”
In the kitchen, Zhang Wan relaxed and stood straight again.
“Ah… Ah… psychology! I am learning a lot from you, Director!” Fu Hu gasped, impressed.
Taking another sip of tea, Su Jin shifted gears. “That covers your job. Now, mine. The Director’s son is a good way forward, but I’ve been stationed overseas too long. The domestic political climate is murky. I’d put our success rate at seventy percent. The remaining thirty percent depends on you.”
Fu Hu’s expression instantly sobered.
He had been a soldier, but only an ordinary one, and now he was an ordinary civilian.
Being drafted into a high-level government power struggle was worrying.
“Relax, your task is simple. Whenever I deploy internationally, I leave two trusted subordinates with several secret contact methods. I need you to go to the solar power specialty store down in Erdao Bay. Purchase a solar panel, a storage battery, a charge controller, and a power inverter.”
“The purchase itself will be a signal. My people will hear about it. Soon after you buy it, they will understand my message. I handle the rest, you sit back, and wait to start your job.”
“A solar panel? Director, how much is that going to run me?” Fu Hu asked, putting down his cup quickly.
Feigning deep thought, Su Jin replied, “My contact will have the whole set ready. It should cost around fourteen thousand yuan.”
“Fourteen grand?!” Fu Hu’s eyes bugged out. “Director, that’s astronomical! Throw in the tactical archery gear, and we cannot afford all that…”
“Who told you to panic?” Su Jin snapped, tapping the table sharply. “Keep the receipts. You can return the solar equipment in a couple of days. The hardware is just a signal for my subordinates. Every item has to be exactly right. You do not need to ask for details.” Inside, Su Jin felt a twinge of genuine exasperation.
But with the ability to return the purchases, he knew Fu Hu would likely agree.
“Understood!”
Right on cue, Fu Hu slapped his thigh decisively. “In that case, Director, what’s my procurement window?”
“Tomorrow, or the day after at the latest. I need everything bought. It’s one last step. After that, we both get to relax.”
“I understand. I will take tomorrow off and buy it all.”
Su Jin smiled, reaching over to pat Fu Hu on the arm.
“Do not worry, Old Fu. It should all go smoothly… We have talked enough. I am going to see Qingdai.”
“Of course, of course. Thank you for your continued guidance, Director Li.” Fu Hu stood and accompanied Su Jin to his daughter’s bedroom door.
Pushing the door open, he found Fu Qingdai in plain white pajamas. She sat at her desk, listlessly dragging a pen across a workbook, her lower legs swinging idly beneath her chair.
Catching sight of her father and Su Jin in the doorway, she glanced at them uncertainly, then lowered her eyes.
“Qingdai, pay close attention to what Uncle Li tells you! Take it seriously!” Fu Hu barked, before closing the door behind Su Jin.
The second the latch clicked, Fu Qingdai got up and sat neatly on the edge of her mattress.
Su Jin looked around Qingdai’s room. It was filled with small stuffed toys and a faint fragrance.
He sat on the chair facing her, dropping his voice to a deadpan whisper. “Are the walls thick enough?”
“Mhm… If we whisper, they can’t hear,” Fu Qingdai breathed, her voice trembling.
“How much money did you take today? Hand it over.” Su Jin extended an open palm.
Fu Qingdai rummaged under her mattress for a frantic moment before producing a handful of small bills, depositing them into his hand.
Su Jin looked at the small bills and frowned.