The door of the courtyard house has been welded dead

The solitary confinement room next to the security department has been demolished, and a new three-story office building has been built on this land.

The detention cells, interrogation rooms, and armory have all been moved to the new building, and the division of labor among the departments is now much clearer.

The security office sign was hung in front of the new building. People coming in and out of the door would instinctively stop when they saw Jiang Defu walking by.

Jiang Defu's arrival was warmly welcomed by a group of veteran employees, including many of his former subordinates from the research institute. When they saw their old leader enter the door, they thought they were seeing things.

"Representative Jiang!"

The shout was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples throughout the office building.

"Oh my, I thought I was seeing things, it really is Deputy Director Jiang."

The older staff at the research institute liked to call him "representative" because when Jiang Defu first joined the factory, his role was that of a military representative.

Later, he partnered with Li Xuewu until the establishment of the G Committee, when the military representative became the deputy director, and the security personnel got used to calling him director.

He was also one of the powerful figures in the factory, and his relationship with Director Li was completely different from that of the military representatives stationed at other military factories.

The older folks all know that during that period, the factory was like a pillar of strength, remaining steadfast despite the storms from the outside world.

Jiang Defu never wanted to seize anything; his greatest ideal was to return to the army, to the navy, and to the deep blue sea once again.

Together with Li Xuewu, he maintained order at the Hongxing Factory, and until the moment he left, everyone knew he had returned to the Navy.

"Back from vacation, just in time to see everyone!"

"It looks pretty good. This new building looks impressive and much more spacious than before!"

Looking around the interior of the small building, Jiang Defu was deeply moved. Despite the expansion of the office space and the increase in personnel, the building still retained a touch of military style even after all these years away.

Strolling through the office building, Jiang Defu carefully examined every detail. Back when it was cold, the office had to rely on stoves to keep warm, but now every office is equipped with radiators.

The terrazzo floor was spotless, the latest safety guidelines were posted on the bulletin board at the end of the corridor, and a gleaming conference table stood in the meeting room.

Although the office environment has been completely renovated, he can still detect a familiar feeling in certain details, such as the black rubber rollers used when responding to calls still hanging on the wall.

The duty roster on the bulletin board still maintains a military-style scheduling, and even the thermos on the desk is the old-fashioned style with a red five-pointed star printed on it.

I shook hands with each of my old acquaintances and former subordinates who came over. The awkwardness that had arisen from our long separation gradually dissipated. Being so welcomed showed that my work experience here was still recognized by everyone.

At least in this factory, he left his mark, living up to the position of military representative and the trust placed in him by Li Feng.

Thinking this way, the slight confusion I felt when I first entered the factory was somewhat dispelled.

"Deputy Director Jiang!"

"Alright, I'm not the deputy director anymore, everyone get back to work!"

After exchanging pleasantries with everyone for a while, Jiang Defu suppressed his excitement. Apart from the army, this military factory security department, full of human warmth, was the most unforgettable memory of his life.

"Old Jiang~!"

Li Xuewu, who works upstairs, may have heard the lively commotion downstairs, or he may have received a call from the duty room, so he went downstairs and met up with his old colleague.

Lost in memories, I heard familiar footsteps on the stairs, a steady, unhurried pace, the same familiar rhythm even after all these years.

Jiang Defu looked up and met Li Daba's curious gaze.

In this long-awaited reunion, the two smiled at each other, needing no words; their tacit understanding of many years was fully revealed at this moment.

"The conditions are really good! The heating works so well, we've added quite a bit of coal!"

In the office, Jiang Defu took off his military overcoat and looked around at the furnishings. If he hadn't returned to the navy, he would probably be working in this office right now.

To be honest, it's really comfortable, especially considering that I desperately wanted to return to the navy, and now that I'm back on a submarine, looking at the working conditions here, it's like I asked for trouble.

"It's nice, but I envy you. We can only wear these military uniforms until this year; we'll have to take them off at the end of the year!"

A pot of tea was brewed in a ceramic cup. Li Xuewu handed the cup to Jiang Defu and sat down on the sofa. His face was troubled, and the movement of the scar on his forehead made him look somewhat fierce. Jiang Defu leaned forward, picked up the teacup to warm his hands, and looked at Li Xuewu with a puzzled expression, asking, "..."

"What's going on? Is the factory going to be converted back into a state-owned enterprise?"

Jiang Defu was aware that the military was streamlining its personnel, but he didn't expect that the Hongxing Factory, with its many trump cards, would also return to local control.

"No, a meeting was held at the end of the year to solicit opinions regarding the reinstatement of security guards in all state-owned factories and mines, including military industrial units like ours. It might have to be phrased differently by the end of this year!"

"Police officer!"

"Haven't we had that for a long time? It's just a different name, isn't it?"

Jiang Defu took a sip of tea and began to think. It was just a different way of putting it; the people were the same. It was just a change in name only. There used to be security guards, but they had been replaced by the military.

"But we'll probably have to take off these military uniforms by the end of this year. I heard we'll have to switch to police uniforms, and Beijing will be the first to implement it."

"Most importantly, you'll be under the dual leadership of the public security authorities and your work unit!"

As Li Xuewu explained this, Jiang Defu gradually understood that the name change was not the most important thing. The most important thing was that the factory's vertical leadership had been replaced by a new management department, and the leadership authority had most likely been transferred to the public security department.

"As for funding, the police probably don't have enough money to support so many people, right?"

If this reform were implemented nationwide, Jiang Defu couldn't calculate how many additional non-official police officers the public security bureau would need to add, but in terms of financial support, it certainly couldn't bear such a huge burden; it would involve at least hundreds of thousands of people.

It wasn't that Jiang Defu looked down on the police, but rather that he had dealt with the police force since he took over the security department, and it had always been quite poor, with insufficient funding, and its benefits were not as good as those of the factory's security department.

Veterans who have retired or transferred to civilian jobs have always preferred to work in large factories like Hongxing Factory rather than join the public security forces, which are more suitable for them.

"That's the problem. The factory is still responsible for solving the funding issue, but the leadership authority has been transferred to the public security bureau!"

Li Xuewu is no longer the naive veteran he once was. He has risen through the ranks from security officer, and his horizons have long since broadened.

"This is like using a hen to lay eggs, isn't it? Has the outside security situation really gotten to this point?"

Jiang Defu was stunned for a moment. The police couldn't afford to pay their salaries, so they made the factory pay them. This was equivalent to supporting the police as unofficial officers, but it also stripped the factory of most of its leadership power. Wouldn't the security department be pleasing neither side?

If what Li Xuewu said is true, there is only one possibility: there is a problem with public security, and the police force is severely understaffed. That is why they had no choice but to incorporate the security departments of these state-owned factories into the police force to solve the problem caused by the shortage of manpower.

In the past, when the steel rolling mill was in operation, the security department would also help the branch office or the nearby police station maintain the security of the area and arrest petty thieves and the like.

After the latter two were separated, the Red Star Factory was transformed into a military factory, and the focus of work shifted to the factory premises, with secrecy as the primary concern and maintaining order as a secondary objective.

It seems that there are quite a few other organizations that do things like the Red Star Factory.

After all, assisting the police in solving local cases doesn't bring any commendation or awards; at most, it might result in certificates or verbal praise. Furthermore, security personnel on duty might even face danger.

Using your own employees to do favors for other organizations will not benefit the employees themselves. Even the best relationships will eventually lead to boredom from your superiors.

This may be why the higher authorities made this decision.

"There are many more educated youth returning to the city and migrant workers coming to the city!"

"Sigh, there's been a noticeable increase in fights and thefts; the security situation is worse than before."

"Factorys with better performance, like ours, at least have funds to purchase three-wheeled motorcycles. The police station doesn't have any; they still ride bicycles, or at most motorcycles or sidecars."

Li Xuewu smiled wryly. No matter which factory's security department was, compared to the meager budget of the police station, it was quite "fat." The other side was quite envious of their security equipment.

However, the fact that he was stripped of most of the factory's management authority and placed under the jurisdiction of the local public security bureau made him, as the head of the security department, seem like a lose-lose situation.

Seeing Li Xuewu's somewhat distressed expression, Jiang Defu smiled. Fortunately, he left early, so it wasn't his turn to worry. This kind of change might be fine in a year or two.

But over time, even if the leaders don't say anything, the employees below will still have a lot of complaints. Once they face cuts in funding and benefits, the security guards under their command will also protest.

"The problem will eventually be solved. With Director Li here, you don't need to worry. It's not like you've really become an outsider. Why don't you talk to him about this?"

"Let's go together...!" (End of Chapter)