With every new tunnel, Tao Nanfeng’s digging technique grew more refined.
She would trace the white lines appearing on the cave walls, choosing the shortest excavation path.
The moment a red dot appeared, she would halt the digging and install hardwood supports where the green lines emerged. Under her direction, the road construction team advanced smoothly.
In just one week, they had pushed forward over fifty meters. At this rate, the three-hundred-meter tunnel would be finished in a month and a half.
During their noon break, the canteen delivered meals. The crew sat at the tunnel entrance, sheltered by the deep shade of an ancient pine tree.
November in the mountains had brought the true essence of autumn. A sea of yellow leaves blanketed the slopes, the forest ablaze with color and shimmering in the sunlight.
The sound of children’s laughter drifted from the mountain path. Tao Nanfeng looked up, following the noise.
Beyond a steep slope lay the narrow, difficult trail to the Beipo Brigade.
Four girls, twelve or thirteen years old, were approaching, each carrying a bamboo tube. The leader, a slender girl, wore a bright crimson silk knot in her braid that stood out vividly—from a distance, she looked like a walking pomegranate blossom.
Xiao Aiyun, sitting beside Tao Nanfeng, beamed and raised a hand in greeting.
“Ximei—”
The girl with the crimson ribbon recognized her name and chirped back, “Sister Xiao! Sister Tao!”
Ximei sprinted up the mountain path, nearly tripping over a branch jutting from the hillside.
Xiao Aiyun stood and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Slow down, Ximei! Don’t hurry!”
Ximei reached them, breathlessly handing a bamboo tube to each woman. “Water!” she said, her voice warm and affectionate. “I fetched this fresh from Luohan Spring. It’s sweet and cool.”
She tilted her head, her sparse, yellowish hair braided and tied with the large red silk flower.
“Sister Tao, look! This is the ribbon you gave me. It’s so beautiful.” Her large eyes shone with delight as she carefully smoothed the fabric, cherishing the gift.
Ximei lived on the North Slope. Her father was Fan Wufu, the farmer who had stopped by the Zhiqing Settlement to ask for water the last time he’d passed through.
On her twelfth birthday, Ye Qin and Tao Nanfeng had gifted her the silk ribbon. Having never owned such a beautiful ornament, Ximei had been so overwhelmed with joy she didn’t know how to express her gratitude.
She’d spent the entire morning gathering a basket of wild fruit and hiking three hours over the mountain path to deliver it to the educated youth.
Over time, Ximei had grown close to the educated youth. When she heard the road construction team was carving a tunnel to connect the North and South Slopes, she had brought along some friends from her village to deliver water.
Three other young girls clung to Ximei, their small frames trembling with shyness. They huddled behind her, barely daring to emerge.
Ximei grinned and nudged them forward. “Sister Xiao, Sister Tao—these are Lanmei, Hehua, and Wumei.”
The girls’ faces flushed a deep crimson. One of them thrust her bamboo tube of water into Xiao Aiyun’s hands before scurrying back behind Ximei, peeking out with a cautious gaze.
Xiao Aiyun accepted the tubes with a smile and passed them out to the rest of the team.
The educated youth chuckled, their faces brightening as they greeted the four girls. The children’s mixture of shyness and curiosity was endearing, and they gently teased them to get them to speak.
“How old are you all? What grade are you in?”
“Don’t you have school today? Why are you bringing us water at noon?”
Ximei, the boldest of the group, answered their questions earnestly. “We’ve all graduated from Nanbeipo Primary School. The middle school in town is too far away, so our parents won’t let us keep studying.”
The child before them was only eleven or twelve—slight and pale, her frame showing the signs of malnutrition. The toes of her coarse cloth shoes were worn through, revealing her white skin. Her homespun clothes were a full size too small, clear evidence that she hadn’t had anything new to wear in years.
Quit school after primary?
Xiao Aiyun knelt, bringing herself eye-level with Ximei. “Why can’t you keep studying? Didn’t you say you wanted a new backpack for your twelfth birthday?”
The question struck a raw nerve. Ximei bit her lip, her eyes reddening as tears welled and threatened to spill.
Xiao Aiyun quickly pulled her into a hug, gently patting her back. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Big sister was wrong to ask.”
Hehua edged closer, her voice a hushed murmur. “Ximei’s a brilliant student. She’s always been top of her class.”
“But middle school in town means boarding,” Wumei added, her face clouding with sadness as she looked at her friend. “It’s too expensive.”
“And our families won’t let girls study,” she finished softly.
Ximei wiped her eyes and offered a shy, apologetic smile. “Sister Xiao, I only wanted that backpack to keep as a memento. I wanted to go to middle school in town… I wanted to become an educated youth, just like you.”
Being a role model for the children was usually a joyful feeling, but seeing Ximei’s tear-filled eyes made the educated youth feel a heavy weight in their chests. For rural children—especially girls—the path to education was a daunting one.
Wei Min stepped forward and gently rubbed the top of her head. “Once the road is finished, we’ll all work together to make sure every child who wants to study can go to school.”
Ximei looked up, her eyes igniting with desperate hope. “Really? You’d better keep your word!”
Wei Min’s mind flashed to the phosphate ore in the bamboo grove. He exchanged a glance with Qiao Yadong, and they both nodded. “We will.”
Once the mine is open, the money will come, he thought. With that funding, we could even build a middle school. How could the children possibly miss out on an education then?
Ximei grabbed her friends’ hands and leaped into the air. “Yay! We’re going to school!”
At the sight of the four young girls’ joy, the rest of the team broke into smiles. As they drank, they praised the water: “This must be Luohan Spring water. It’s so sweet!”
Ximei’s eyes crescented as she beamed at their praise. “You’re building the road and digging the tunnel so we can go to school! I’ll come and bring you water every day from now on.”
The three younger girls tugged at Ximei’s clothes, their voices small. “Ximei, it takes five hours to bring water from Luohan Spring…”
Luohan Spring sat atop Luohan Peak, the highest of Mount Xiufeng’s many summits, over two thousand meters above sea level.
Ximei tugged at the silk flower in her braid, a stubborn set to her jaw. “It’s okay. I’m not afraid of the mountain paths.”
The team tried to dissuade her, lifting their army canteens to show they had enough water for the day. But Ximei’s mind was made up. She pressed her lips together and insisted, “I’ll only bring two bamboo tubes. The water from Luohan Spring is sweeter.”
Then she looked up at them, her smile pure and innocent. She gave a deep bow, grabbed her friends’ hands, and ran off.
Tao Nanfeng watched the children’s retreating figures, a wave of emotion washing over her.
*A five-hour round trip on mountain paths just to bring a few tubes of spring water?*
It was noon. That meant the children must have left home by seven in the morning. The villagers of Mount Xiufeng were poor, but their hearts were as pure and grateful as gold.
Tao Nanfeng set her bamboo tube down by the cave’s edge. She stood, gripped her iron drill, and her gaze turned steady. “Let’s get to work.”
Build the road. Open the mine. Earn the money. Send these children to school.
“Let’s get to work!” the team roared in unison. Their voices shook the valley, the echo booming across the landscape.
Clang! Clang! The iron drills struck the rock.
Thud! Thud! Hoes bit into the earth.
The work was in full swing when a commotion erupted at the cave entrance, punctuated by a coarse, booming voice.
Tao Nanfeng tilted her head, listening intently. She raised a hand, signaling everyone to stop.
“What is it?” Wei Min asked.
Outside, the shouting continued. The voices were muffled and distorted by the tunnel’s acoustics, making the words hard to catch.
Qiao Yadong frowned. “Sounds like Liu Bin, the Security Department chief. What the hell is he doing here?”
Knowing Tao Nanfeng detested dealing with such matters, Qiao Yadong turned to her. “You all keep working. Wei Min, Chen Zhilu, and I will go see what’s going on.”
He dropped his shovel and gestured for the other two to follow. The three men headed out of the tunnel.
A group of men stood at the entrance, led by Liu Bin. He was a burly man with a thick beard and eyes like copper bells, perpetually glaring.
Behind him, seven or eight young men with red armbands crowded together, cigarettes dangling from their lips and iron clubs in their hands. They looked fierce and menacing.
“Out! Get out here, all of you!”
“A major cave-in happened, a serious safety incident! And you deliberately concealed it? Stop all work immediately! No more digging!”
After shouting for several minutes, Liu Bin’s face lit up when figures finally emerged from the darkness of the tunnel. He barked, “Take them all back to headquarters!” Without another word, he ordered his men to seize Qiao Yadong and the others, wrenching their arms behind their backs.
Caught completely off guard, Qiao Yadong could barely register what was happening.
He struggled against his captors, shouting, “Chief Liu, what are you doing? We’re on the road construction team! We’re just doing our jobs—what right do you have to arrest us?”
A few security guards produced rough hemp rope, binding the three men’s hands and feet. They sneered, “You violated safety protocols, almost caused an accident. Now you’re going to headquarters for investigation.”
Wei Min fought back, but he was no match for the two burly guards who pinned him down, rendering him motionless.
Chen Zhilu strained his voice to yell, “Liu Bin is hitting us! Help! Someone help—”
*Crack!*
Before he could finish, Liu Bin delivered a vicious slap across his face. “Damn it! What are you yelling for? Who the hell is hitting anyone? We are here on the farm director’s orders to stop work and conduct a safety review. We’re protecting the road construction team.”
The road construction team had already dug a hundred meters into the tunnel. They were so deep that any sound from outside would be completely lost unless someone shouted directly into the cave.
Tao Nanfeng, however, sensed something was off. She turned to Xiao Aiyun. “Why is Qiao Yadong taking so long?”
Xiao Aiyun waved a dismissive hand. “Monitor Qiao is the best at handling people. I’m sure everything’s fine.”
Mao Peng chimed in from the side. “The security guys are always milling around. What could they possibly be doing? They’re probably just bored and looking for a cigarette. I’ll go check.”
He pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took a deep, savoring breath of their scent, and tucked one behind his ear. “Educated Youth Tao, I’m heading to the cave entrance for a smoke.”
Tao Nanfeng nodded, watching him walk away.
Less than two minutes later, Mao Peng came stumbling back, shouting, “Security is arresting people! Grab your gear—we’re going after them!”
At the news that the security department had the nerve to make arrests within the road construction team, every worker in the tunnel was instantly enraged. They snatched up hoes, pickaxes, and shovels and charged toward the entrance.
“That’s some nerve! How dare they cause trouble here?”
“Did Liu Bin learn nothing from Director Xiang’s last beating?”
“Damn it! The bastard’s got guts to come here and arrest our people. Let’s take ’em down!”
Tao Nanfeng lingered at the rear of the group, her pace steady and unhurried.
Her slender wrist looked as though it had no bone, yet it gripped a fifteen-pound, eight-sided sledgehammer.
The hammer’s wooden handle was thick, filling her palm perfectly and allowing her fingers to curve naturally around it. The heavy iron head tilted downward, its sheer weight evident.
Seeing the men of the road construction team whipped into a bloodthirsty frenzy, Xiao Aiyun grew anxious.
She leaned in and whispered, “Are they going to fight? I’m scared.”
Tao Nanfeng pressed her lips together. “Don’t worry,” she reassured her. “I’m here.”
As the two women stepped out of the cave, they found the situation at a breaking point, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
“What’s the meaning of this, Liu Bin?” Mao Peng roared. “You need to know whose turf you’re on before you come here throwing your weight around!”
Liu Bin sneered. “Farm security is my jurisdiction. You had a major cave-in a week ago—a serious safety incident. My investigation is perfectly within regulations. Don’t try to pin accusations of bullying on me!”
Mao Peng’s heart sank. *The cave-in?* Tao Nanfeng had handled that so swiftly that it had caused no real problems.
Xiang Bei had strictly forbidden anyone from talking about it to avoid further complications. How had the security department found out?
Mao Peng was still trying to figure out how to respond when two educated youth stepped out from behind him, brandishing their shovels.
“Investigation is one thing,” they shouted, “but who gave you the right to kidnap our men? Let them go!”
Wei Min was bound with hemp rope, his hands tied behind his back. His shoulders were pinned down as he struggled desperately, a rag stuffed into his mouth. He let out muffled grunts, his eyes burning with rage.
Liu Bin tapped an iron rod against his palm—thwack, thwack—his posture oozing a street-thug arrogance. “If you’d just come with us to the farm headquarters for the investigation, I wouldn’t have had to tie anyone up. But you decided to start a fight the moment we arrived. Don’t blame us for getting rough.”
Chen Zhilu’s cheek was a vivid red from a slap, his eyes blazing with fury. If looks could kill, Liu Bin would have been stabbed dozens of times already.
Qiao Yadong didn’t struggle. He just watched Mao Peng and the others, shaking his head and frantically signaling with his eyes: Don’t fight them head-on. Go to the farm headquarters and get Xiang Bei to handle this.
The road construction team, seeing their comrades captured, seethed with indignation. Mao Peng nodded to Qiao Yadong, then leaned in to whisper to one of his men.
The man turned to run, but after only a few steps, he was grabbed by one of Liu Bin’s subordinates and swiftly subdued.
“Bah!” Liu Bin spat on the ground. “Running won’t help! Stop working, hand over your tools, and come with me to the farm headquarters for investigation. If you cooperate, you’ll be fine.”
He swept a vicious glare over the group, then drew a shotgun from behind his back. “But if anyone dares resist… don’t blame me for being heartless!”
Mount Xiufeng was a place of deep forests and high peaks, frequent haunt for wild animals. The Farm Security Office was issued two shotguns for such reasons, but Liu Bin had actually brought one this time.
Tao Nanfeng, who had just reached the cave entrance, felt her pupils contract and her heart race.
Mao Peng’s voice cracked in shock. “How dare you, Liu Bin? We’re farm employees, not the enemy!”
The dozen or so burly men of the road construction team had initially looked formidable, but Liu Bin’s gun gave them a newfound confidence. “This is called being prepared for any contingency,” he sneered.
His subordinates, a bunch of idle village thugs known for petty theft and brawling, grew emboldened by the weapon. They started jeering and taunting.
“Stay in line, all of you! These bullets aren’t for show!”
“You! Why’s your hoe raised so high?”
“Drop your weapons! If anyone resists the Section Chief, I’ll fire!”
The shotgun was 1.4 meters long and weighed 3.5 kilograms. Its wooden stock gave way to two thick, blackened barrels that stared back at them, ominous and hollow.
Mao Peng knew the devastating power of this weapon. A single shot could felling a wild beast charging into the village. At this range, a single blast of lead shot would shred the entire construction team.
Life or death, all in a pull of a trigger.
A knot tightened in Mao Peng’s chest, leaving him paralyzed between two choices.
Fight back? If Liu Bin lost his nerve and pulled the trigger, who would take responsibility for the deaths?
Surrender?
What if Liu Bin stormed the cave and destroyed the tunnel they’d worked so hard to dig?
Mao Peng’s voice faltered, his tone turning placatory. “Chief Liu, what are you doing? We’re all on the same side. It’s hardly appropriate to bring out knives and guns, is it? There was no cave-in—just a minor hiccup during excavation, which is why we didn’t report it. We’re used to overcoming obstacles on our own. We never expected to need the headquarters for every little problem.”
He gestured tentatively. “Come on, let’s just go back to the farm headquarters together and face your investigation.”
Seeing Mao Peng yield, Liu Bin brandished his shotgun with smug satisfaction.
“Now that sounds like a person finally talking sense. Move out! Work’s over. Drop your tools and follow us to the Security Department.”
The road crew reluctantly lowered their shovels, hammers, and hoes.
Liu Bin chuckled. “That’s more like it. Don’t even think about resisting, or else—”
His gaze swept the line and landed on Tao Nanfeng, who was standing at the very back. He choked mid-sentence.
His eyes lit up, his mouth stretching into a grin that nearly reached his ears. “Well, well… since when did the construction crew get a little beauty? How could you let someone so pretty do this kind of rough work? Come on, honey, come back with big brother. I’ll have you living the good life.”
As he spoke, he kept the shotgun in his right hand and reached out with his left to grab her.
In the blink of an eye, Tao Nanfeng moved.
Her vision flooded with white lines, crisscrossing over the gun’s muzzle and forming a dense web of fractures in the middle of the barrel. She stepped aside, evading his grasp, and flicked her wrist upward. Her index finger brushed the metal with a strike of surprising power.
A series of sharp, crystalline cracks—krak-snap-pop—echoed in her ears.
The steel had shattered.
Tao Nanfeng smiled faintly, her expression as delicate as a blooming orchid.
Liu Bin felt his strength drain, his limbs turning to jelly. It took him a long moment to find his voice. “Pretty… goddamn pretty.”
Xiao Aiyun yanked Tao Nanfeng behind her, glaring as she shouted, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
As Liu Bin’s view of Tao Nanfeng’s face was obscured, a surge of irritation washed over him. He lunged forward and shoved Xiao Aiyun’s shoulder with his left hand.
“Ah!” Xiao Aiyun shrieked, stumbling backward.
Tao Nanfeng’s hand shot out, catching her by the back to steady her. She shifted her stance, stepping to the side, and swung her single arm.
“Hngh!”
Whack!
A tremendous force surged from Tao Nanfeng’s palm. The burly Liu Bin was thrown backward, his feet carving two deep gouges into the dirt as he struggled to regain his balance. He flailed wildly, the shotgun in his right hand dragging across the ground before he finally came to a halt.
He stared, his eyes wide with disbelief. What kind of strength is this? She… she barely even moved!
His heart hammered against his ribs as he locked his gaze on Tao Nanfeng. “Who… who are you?”
Only then did he remember the story about the female educated youth who had smashed Luo Xuan’s desk with a single punch. “You… you’re Tao Nanfeng!”
Fury ignited in Liu Bin’s eyes. He snarled and raised the shotgun, leveling it straight at her. “I gave you a chance! How dare you lay a hand on me? You think I won’t—”
The words had barely left his lips when a strange sound echoed through the air. The shotgun in his hands suddenly fell apart.
Crack! Snap!
The barrel shattered, the stock split open, and lead shot spilled onto the ground, rolling away.
The sudden collapse left everyone frozen, the silence heavy and absolute. The shotgun had simply… disintegrated? This was a weapon forged from pure steel with a solid walnut stock, built to withstand hundreds of pounds of force.
More importantly, the shotgun was the farm’s critical property. Damaging it was a serious crime.
Mao Peng, ever quick-witted, immediately pointed an accusing finger at Liu Bin. “Section Chief Liu broke the gun! Section Chief Liu broke the gun!”
The rest of the road construction team exchanged glances before raising their arms in a collective roar. “Destruction of public property! A heinous crime!”
Panic seized Liu Bin. He clutched the remaining piece of the stock, shaking his head desperately. “It wasn’t me! I didn’t—I don’t know how!”
Sweat poured down his face, his previous arrogance replaced by sheer terror.
Tao Nanfeng watched him, a faint sense of satisfaction rising within her. She gently rubbed her fingertips together, feeling the friction against her skin, and a subtle smile touched her lips.
When Liu Bin saw that smile, a shiver ran down his spine. He suddenly pointed a trembling finger at her and screamed, “You! You’re the one who broke my gun!”
The accusation hung in the air, and even Liu Bin’s own men exchanged bewildered glances, whispering among themselves.
“Has Chief Liu lost his mind?”
“The gun was in his hands the whole time. How could that girl possibly have broken it?”
“Look, we’ve framed people before, but this… this is just too flimsy, even for us.”
Mao Peng sneered, his arms sweeping outward. “Alright, boys—charge!”
Without a gun, Liu Bin was nothing to be afraid of.
A chaotic brawl erupted.
Tao Nanfeng and Xiao Aiyun watched the melee from the safety of the cave entrance, keeping their distance.
Xiao Aiyun clung to Tao Nanfeng’s arm, her voice trembling. “What do we do? They’re fighting!”
“It’s fine,” Tao Nanfeng said, gently patting her hand.
Her gaze was fixed on the skirmish. The earlier confrontation with Liu Bin had given her a new sense of confidence; she stood straighter now, a glint of determination in her eyes.
The road construction workers, young, strong, and seasoned, made quick work of the lazy, pampered thugs from the Security Department. In ten minutes, they had the security guards beaten and scattering like rats.
The tide turned instantly. Qiao Yadong and the other two were freed, and Liu Bin and his men were bound in rope. Only one was left untied, sent to the farm headquarters to bring word of the uprising.
Ignoring the bruises on his own body, Mao Peng bent down to gather the scattered parts of the shotgun from the ground. “This is evidence of Liu Bin destroying public property. We can’t let them destroy it.”
Chen Zhilu seized the chaos to land a brutal punch on Liu Bin’s face. He spat on the ground. “The tables have turned, you arrogant bastard. Let’s see you act tough now!”
After venting their fury, the road construction team fell silent, waiting for Xiang Bei to arrive.
Though the men who had assaulted them were now all bound, Qiao Yadong still felt something was off. He rotated his aching wrists and turned to Mao Peng. “Who leaked the news about the cave-in?”
Mao Peng shrugged. “Don’t know.”
The educated youth exchanged glances, then demanded loudly, “Who told them?”
The veteran road crew members bristled. “What’s that supposed to mean? You accusing us of being snitches? I bet it was you bunch of greenhorns—too damn loud and a bunch of loose lips. Someone probably overheard you blabbing everywhere!”
Tao Nanfeng stared in dismay. She never expected her own side to start infighting.
Ever since Xiang Bei had publicly seized power, the road construction team had felt an undercurrent of tension.
Though Luo Xuan kept his words sweet in Xiang Bei’s presence, everyone knew he was seething, waiting for any slip-up from the team to use against them and undermine Xiang Bei’s authority.
If the team couldn’t stand united, Xiang Bei would be fighting a war on two fronts, and the consequences would be dire.
Tao Nanfeng stepped forward, her voice firm and clear. “Assign two people to guard these men. The rest of you, get back into the tunnel and keep working.”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a cool, steady strength, like a mountain stream flowing over stones. The arguing men fell silent.
Qiao Yadong nodded in agreement. “Right. Wei Min and Geng Hui will stay behind. The rest of us will keep digging. We can’t let this delay our work.”
“Agreed,” Mao Peng added. “We can’t let these guys slow us down. Let’s get back to it.”
Seeing Tao Nanfeng take charge and successfully quell the infighting, Xiao Aiyun breathed a sigh of relief. She silently gave Tao Nanfeng a thumbs-up, mouthing the words You’re amazing before grinning and following the rest of the crew back into the tunnel.
The construction crew’s rhythmic clanging, which had ceased for a long moment, resumed.
Outside the tunnel, a commotion stirred. Xiang Bei, Engineer Yang, Luo Xuan, Jiao Liang, and several other farm headquarters officials rushed to the scene. They had been in a meeting when the Security Department’s flustered reports forced them all to hurry over and deal with the crisis.
The Security Department, using a tunnel collapse as an excuse, went on a rogue mission to arrest workers. And Chief Liu even pulled a shotgun?
Xiang Bei’s face was a mask of stony calm, his eyes glinting with a cold fury.
The shotgun suddenly fell apart, the road crew and the Security Department got into a brawl, and now they’ve captured Liu Bin?
Luo Xuan and Jiao Liang exchanged a glance, their feet shifting restlessly.
They ground their teeth, cursing Liu Bin’s incompetence. He’d taken the shotgun out to intimidate the crew, but instead of cowing them, he’d handed them the upper hand. It was a classic case of trying to steal a chicken and losing a handful of rice.
“Shotguns are for keeping wild animals off the mountain,” Xiang Bei’s voice was low but laced with absolute authority. “Liu Bin pointed it at the road crew. His intentions were murderous. Send him straight to the police station.”
Liu Bin desperately pleaded for mercy. “Please! The road crew was threatening us with hammers and shovels. I only took the gun out to scare them!”
Luo Xuan forced a smile. “Director Xiang, I’m sure Liu Bin never actually intended to fire. Since no shots were fired, surely there’s no need to involve the police.”
Director Jiao remained silent, his face a mask of grim tension, brows furrowed deeply. Liu Bin’s sister, Liu Lili, the head nurse at the health clinic, was a woman of considerable beauty and Jiao Liang’s secret mistress.
Liu Bin had ridden this connection like a badge of authority, strutting through the farm while Jiao Liang turned a blind eye to his arrogance. But this time, Liu Bin had finally kicked a steel plate in the form of Xiang Bei. How could he possibly save him now?
Liu Bin, completely unraveled, lunged forward and clung to Jiao Liang’s leg, wailing, “Director! Director, you have to save me! I can’t go to the police station! I can’t go to jail!”
He smothered Jiao Liang’s leg in tears and snot. Disgusted, Jiao Liang kicked him away, cleared his throat, and turned to Xiang Bei with a desperate plea.
“Deputy Director Xiang, look… this is an internal matter. Why escalate it to a criminal level? Section Chief Liu was wrong, and he will certainly be disciplined—demotion, a public self-criticism, a fine—anything is fine as long as he isn’t sent to the police. Just tell us what your conditions are.”
Wei Min listened to the leaders’ exchange, a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes.
Serves him right, he thought, a smile playing on his lips.
Liu Bin, that arrogant prick, had been strutting around as if he owned the place, using a chicken feather to claim the authority of an imperial decree.
He’d just had Wei Min tied up and slapped Chen Zhilu—and now karma had finally caught up with him.
His gaze fell upon the scattered pieces of the shotgun.
How the hell did it just fall apart? he wondered. Could Tao Nanfeng have actually done it?
His thoughts were interrupted as he looked up to meet Xiang Bei’s eyes.
Xiang Bei’s gaze was steady, and his voice was low and uncompromising. “Liu Bin is fired. We need a new Chief of the Security Department.”
Jiao Liang’s throat tightened, his eyes darting frantically. He seethed inwardly at Xiang Bei’s ruthlessness, but forced a smile.
“Now, about that… let’s discuss this further. The Chief of the Security Department is a crucial role. Who else knows the security protocols? Besides, where are we going to find a suitable replacement on such short notice?”
Before Jiao Liang could finish, Xiang Bei bent down and hoisted Liu Bin up by his bound arms.
“Pack up the shotgun parts,” Xiang Bei told Wei Min. “We’re heading down the mountain.”
“You got it, Director Xiang,” Wei Min replied, delightedly following behind.
Xiang Bei’s abrupt hoist sent a jolt of terror through Liu Bin. As his shoulder blades screamed in pain, he howled, “Director! Director! Brother-in-law! Help me!”
The word “brother-in-law” made Jiao Liang’s eyebrows twitch.
He shot Liu Bin a murderous glare before stepping in front of Xiang Bei, hands raised. “Deputy Director Xiang, let’s talk this over. Calm down. Tell me—who do you want as the new chief of the security department? You make the call.”
Liu Bin’s exclamation had served as both a reminder and a threat. The punk knew too many of Jiao Liang’s secrets; if he ended up in a police cell, there was no telling what bullshit he might spout.
Jiao Liang had no choice: he’d have to sacrifice a pawn to protect the king. The Chief of Security position was a small price to pay for Liu Bin’s silence.
Xiang Bei tossed Liu Bin back to the ground and pulled Wei Min to his side. “You’re the new Chief of Security.”
Wei Min stared, stunned.
He was only twenty, the son of workers who had spent his days idling after high school. He was a big eater with endless energy, spending his time either fighting at the steel mill or hanging out with a gang of delinquents at the cultural palace, skating and watching movies.
His parents, desperate to curb his behavior, had finally sent him to the farm as an “educated youth.” They hoped a steady job would discipline him, and at least here, he was guaranteed food and a stipend.
Wei Min wasn’t one for ambition. He was perfectly content as long as he had three full meals, a steady place to sleep, and nobody buzzing in his ear about his life choices.
To be thrown into the spotlight by Xiang Bei was a shock he wasn’t prepared for.
Wei Min had always been a troublemaker among the Jiangcheng educated youth, and Jiao Liang and Luo Xuan had never taken a liking to him.
Hearing Xiang Bei propose such a green, unseasoned punk for Chief of Security, the two exchanged a look and spoke up in unison.
“Now wait a minute,” Jiao Liang stammered. “This isn’t right. He’s just an educated youth who arrived last year. How can he possibly handle the responsibility?”
Xiang Bei raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter? Too scared?”
The challenge landed. Wei Min snapped his head up and slammed a fist against his chest. “Scared? I’ll do it!”
He shot a contemptuous glance at Liu Bin, who remained sprawled on the ground like a heap of mud. “If a wimp like that can be a section chief, what have I got to be afraid of?”
At least he had a high school diploma. He wasn’t just some half-baked amateur.
Xiang Bei clapped a hand on Wei Min’s shoulder, his gaze fixed on Jiao Liang.
“This is my choice for Chief of Security.” His eyes were steely, his expression absolute. The unspoken threat hung in the air: Agree, or face the consequences.
Jiao Liang pulled Luo Xuan aside and whispered, “What do you think?”
Luo Xuan scanned the other leaders present.
“Yang Xianyong from Infrastructure is Xiang Bei’s man,” she whispered. “But the rest—Finance, Propaganda, Logistics, and Labor Protection—are all ours. Even with Wei Min, they’re still in the minority. We should be fine, right?”
As long as they held the majority, Xiang Bei couldn’t seize power.
The two huddled, plotting in low voices, while Liu Bin continued to thrash on the ground.
“Help! Brother-in-law, help me!” he shrieked.
The sound grated on Jiao Liang’s nerves, his frustration mounting. He finally nodded in agreement, deciding to concede for now just to get out of this mess.
Luo Xuan stepped forward to face Xiang Bei. “Fine. We agree to appoint Comrade Wei as Chief of Security.”
Jiao Liang’s face contorted. The appointment of Wei Min was a devastating blow. His nostrils flared, his chest heaving with suppressed rage.
He glared at Xiang Bei. “You’ve gotten what you wanted. Now let him go!”
Xiang Bei cut him off. “Liu Bin is dismissed. Wei Min is the new Chief of Security. From here on, Section Chief Wei will handle the rest.”
Wei Min puffed out his chest, planted his feet firmly, and snapped a crisp military salute. “Yes, sir! Orders will be carried out!”
Wei Min, always bold and impulsive, was now reveling in his newfound authority.
“Take them back to headquarters!” he barked at Geng Hui, gesturing to the security guards who had come to stir up trouble.
“You’re all going to write self-criticisms and spend two days in solitary confinement. If any of you dare to abuse your power again, I’ll make you regret it!”
The skirmish ended with Xiang Bei’s absolute victory.
When Tao Nanfeng and the rest of the road construction team finally emerged from the cave, they were met with a flurry of updates. They were shocked to learn that the farm’s power struggle had escalated so drastically, but equally thrilled that Wei Min had secured the position of Chief of Security.
Wei Min quickly explained that the leak hadn’t been a betrayal from within.
Their conversations had simply been overheard, a conclusion that allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.
The moment he spotted Tao Nanfeng, Wei Min waddled over to her side, his curiosity getting the better of him. “Tao Nanfeng, what’s the deal with the hunting rifle? Do you know kung fu? I mean, you’re not just incredibly strong—you practically turned that iron into scrap!”
“Turned iron into scrap?” Xiao Aiyun, who had been listening, couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ve heard of turning stone into gold, but never iron into scrap. Stop making up words, Wei Min!”
Wei Min shot Xiao Aiyun a glare and pressed his question. “Tao Nanfeng, just tell me. Do you know kung fu? How else would that rifle have just… fallen apart?”
Lately, the Zhiqing Settlement had been captivated by wild tales of ghosts, gods, and immortal cultivators. The young men especially loved stories of disciples who, after being enlightened by an immortal, gained the power to slay demons and vanquish monsters.
Unable to openly discuss politics, they channeled their frustrations into these tales, imagining themselves as swordsmen slicing through the mist to bring clarity and justice to a chaotic world.
Tao Nanfeng shook her head, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Just a light tap on the rifle’s weakest point, she thought, and the barrel snapped.
She hadn’t expected the red, green, and white lines she saw to be so useful. If I can refine this ability, could I use it in close-quarters combat?
The idea of instantly spotting an opponent’s weakness was exhilarating.
Her eyes sparkled as she replied, “The gun was old and rusty. It was bound to break the moment I touched it. Who can blame me?”
Seeing Tao Nanfeng’s clever smile and her casual demeanor, Wei Min’s own excitement grew.
“Exactly!” he exclaimed.
“That idiot Liu Bin brings a piece-of-junk rifle here and doesn’t even take care of it. He destroyed public property—he deserves to be fired and forced to write a self-criticism! And he handed me the section chief’s job on a silver platter. This is too good to be true!”
The other educated youth burst into laughter.
“You’d never have been section chief without Tao Nanfeng’s help. Dream on!”
“You’ve hit the jackpot, buddy. Don’t forget about us now that you’re a big shot.”
“When you’re rich and powerful, don’t forget your old friends!”
Wei Min scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish. “Tao Nanfeng, I really owe you one. Without you stepping in, we never would have had the chance to bring down Liu Bin and seize such an important position. How about this… I’ll go to the Farm Supply and Marketing Cooperative and buy you a bag of sunflower seeds as a thank-you gift!”
Sunflower seeds? Tao Nanfeng’s index finger twitched.
Her “rat-like” instincts were kicking in; she had developed an insatiable craving for snacks, especially nuts.
Xiao Aiyun laughed from the side. “The seeds at the cooperative only cost ten cents for a one-ounce bag. You’re being too cheap! Your salary as Chief of the Security Department is over ten yuan higher now. Don’t be so stingy.”
Wei Min gritted his teeth. “Fine! I’ll buy a pound of melon seeds and a pound of peanuts for your whole dorm. How’s that?”
The group erupted in laughter. Seeing Wei Min’s reluctant expression, they all burst out. Even the stingiest among them had finally decided to loosen his purse strings—a rare sight indeed.
Surrounded by the other educated youth, Wei Min marched into the supply and marketing cooperative.
Across the concrete counter, he pointed to the large glass jars filled with snacks and said, with a pained grimace, “One bag of sunflower seeds for everyone, and another pound of peanuts.”
The cooperative was the farm’s only shop selling cigarettes, liquor, and side foods. It was a single-story red-brick building located east of the farm headquarters, with four-meter-high ceilings and tall windows that cast long shadows into the interior.
The air was heavy with the mingled scents of soy sauce, vinegar, alcohol, and candy.
When Tao Nanfeng stepped out of the store, she held a bag of roasted peanuts in one hand and a packet of sunflower seeds tucked into her pocket, her heart light with satisfaction.
She wished every day could be this good—not only winning a power struggle, but getting prizes to boot.