The weapon refiner is not doing her job properly

Chapter 189 Recommended Candidates

“No one betrayed you,” the police officer said coldly as he carried out the arrest. “It was the police department that lawfully obtained conclusive evidence of your crimes.”

"Impossible!" Wang Jinding's temples bulged with veins, completely unable to believe it. "Without a whistleblower providing crucial clues, it's impossible for you police officers to suddenly show up at our door without any warning."

He was certain.

Moreover, both he and Zhang Qiang acted with great caution and never truly crossed the invisible "warning line" of the Star Police. The other party had no reason to rashly launch such a large-scale thunderous operation against him.

Seeing that he was stubborn and unwilling to talk to him, the police officer in charge of the arrest simply forced him into the police car.

Inside the police station's detention area, Wang Jinding and Zhang Qiang were held in adjacent cells, awaiting their upcoming trial.

In the slightly larger detention cell next to them, there was a dozen or so dejected thugs, and the air was thick with frustration and fear.

Looking through the gaps in the iron bars, Zhang Qiang immediately recognized the listless, huddled figures as the thugs he had sent to vandalize the target bar the previous night.

His heart sank, and he hesitated before lowering his voice to ask, "Hey, you... what did so many of you do to deserve this?"

"I got caught before I even committed any crime. Waaah..." A thug, his voice trembling with tears, wiped his face. "It was fucking terrifying! I'll never go to that awful place again..."

His crying seemed to open a floodgate, and a chorus of sobs immediately filled the detention cell.

"What's so scary? Explain yourself clearly!" Zhang Qiang was anxious. Had they smashed it or not? Had they achieved their goal? He wanted to know if the mission was complete.

"Whatever you want to know, you'll be locked up anyway, and you won't have an easy time either."

“You knew perfectly well that those were hunters, yet you sent us there. You deserved to be locked up.”

"I regret it, sob sob sob... I want to go home."

Wang Jinding, with his impatient nature, could no longer contain himself upon hearing this and blurted out, his voice filled with disbelief and contempt: "They're the thugs you sent out? With looks like that, what can they possibly accomplish?!"

He simply couldn't believe that his capable assistants had been replaced by such a bunch of good-for-nothings.

Zhang Qiang suddenly choked, his mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't utter a single word, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.

He silently cried out in his heart: Boss! This place is a police station and detention center, with surveillance cameras all over the place! How can I dare to answer that? He could only bite his lip tightly and swallow all his explanations and frustrations.

When Wang Jinding and Zhang Qiang's eagerly awaited lawyer finally arrived, expecting to be granted bail and taken away, they were met with a cold refusal. The lawyer, with a grave expression, brought news that the evidence against the two men was irrefutable and irrefutable, making bail impossible. They had to be detained to await formal trial, and the final number of years in prison would depend on the judge's verdict.

Wang Jinding and Zhang Qiang trembled with fear, realizing that their good days were over. Some people don't make a move until they do, and when they do, they make a name for themselves.

The sudden collapse of a group that had been operating for many years was like a thunderbolt that shook the industry, leaving other large and small forces and businessmen trembling with fear and feeling insecure.

They used all available channels to urgently investigate who was behind this swift and decisive action.

It would have been better if they hadn't investigated. After a thorough investigation, all the eyes that had been eyeing the "Su's Building" instantly withdrew as if burned, disappearing without a trace.

Privately, all that remained were gasps of shock and muttered curses: "Damn it, it was Su Ninglong. Either lie low and do nothing, or strike and uproot the person completely, leaving not even a bone fragment."

Such an opponent acts with such madness and ruthlessness, so decisive and swift, leaving no room for compromise, who would dare to offend him easily?

After completely annihilating Wang Jinding's forces, Su Ninglong also gained something.

From the dismantled criminal network, she traced the final destination of some of the trafficked people to Planet Kaby.

This planet, renowned for its tourism industry, attracts visitors with its vast, pristine forests and diverse, unique landscapes.

However, in order to protect the fragile ecosystem to the greatest extent possible, the planetary authorities have imposed extremely strict restrictions on the number of settled residents. This seemingly benevolent policy has indirectly led to a serious lack of oversight in some remote or sparsely populated areas, leaving huge vacuum zones.

Su Ninglong examined the documents and understood that this kind of place indeed possessed the excellent "potential" to become a breeding ground for crime.

Inside the bar, the people who were having team building activities left, but the people from Shimianmaifu stayed.

Her slender fingers tapped lightly on the table. "Lei Lei, Xiao Song, are there any suitable projects on Kaibi Star that we can get involved in?"

Suninglong pondered: since it's currently impossible to completely eradicate this entire chain of evil from its source, is it possible to first sever all its branches one by one? Or go even further and replace one or two key "roots" without anyone noticing?

She needs an ideal person to enter her life, someone who is outwardly unrelated to her, doesn't need to be highly loyal, and whose key is to quickly establish a foothold on Kaby Star.

And... she has enough weaknesses or bargaining chips to bribe her into becoming a secret channel for transmitting crucial information.

“Yes, there really is. I’ve considered investing in this project before.” Lei Qingya reacted quickly and immediately replied, “It’s a project to build rain shelter signs along a hiking trail in the primeval forest, and it’s currently open for bidding.”

"The specific model is that some of the signs will be designed as vending machines for specialty snacks and drinks, serving as both supply points for long-distance hikers and eye-catching signposts to greatly prevent hikers from getting lost in complex terrain. The pricing power of the items in the vending machines is entirely given to the investors, but they are responsible for their own profits and losses."

She slowed her pace, pointing out the key difficulties: "This kind of investment requires a large upfront investment, has a very long payback period, and the subsequent waste recycling and disposal is a continuous hassle. Most importantly, once the investment is made, someone must be constantly monitoring the contractor's every move to ensure project quality and subsequent maintenance; we absolutely cannot allow any unfinished projects to fail." Su Ninglong seized on the key point: "You don't have time to personally oversee it, do you?"

"That's why I hesitated." Lei Qingya nodded frankly. "After thinking about it carefully, I realized that simply investing money in this project wouldn't work. Without a reliable person in charge who is in charge of the operation and managing it diligently in the local area, it would be difficult for me to control the variables involved. Losing some money is one thing, but I'm afraid it will become a bottomless pit, with money going into its maintenance every year. Once a project like this, which has the characteristics of a public facility, is started, we must be responsible to the tourists to the end. The cost of abandoning it halfway is much greater."

Lei Qingya has become a skilled investor over the years, but his journey has not been without its challenges.

Even someone as astute as her father, CEO Lei, makes mistakes, let alone Lei Qingya, who is still accumulating experience. She is well aware of the risks of investing.

But both she and Su Ninglong adhered to a steady and pragmatic strategy.

They invest small amounts frequently and never believe in the nonsense about "gambling heavily and getting rich overnight".

By casting a wide net and investing cautiously, one can more quickly see the industry's trends and intricacies amidst the successes and failures of numerous projects.

"A reliable business manager?" Su Ninglong repeated these words softly, her fingertips unconsciously tapping on the table. Suddenly, a figure clearly appeared in her mind.

It seems there really is a suitable candidate. This person should be interested in trying to develop some new industries to broaden their path. More importantly, this person is not short of money at all.

Letting him run this light-up sign project seems to have solved both the major problems of funding and his interest.

Su Ninglong's face lit up with a bright smile, and she called out affectionately, "Lei Lei, you deserve to be qualified to customize the sacred artifact. You are truly my capable assistant." As she spoke, she blew Lei Qingya a kiss.

Their cute and playful appearance makes people feel happy.

The team-building activity officially ended, and everyone said goodbye and went their separate ways. However, Lian Xinyi did not leave immediately like the others; instead, she stayed behind, as if she had something to say.

"Why aren't you leaving yet?"

Lian Xinyi stammered, feeling a little embarrassed to say it.

Lei Qingya yawned, having been busy all day. "Tell me quickly, or I'm going to catch up on my sleep."

Lian Xinyi gulped down a large glass of water, her expression unusually serious.

“Regarding the light-up sign project in Kaby Star, my family might be able to help a little.” He carefully chose his words. “Of course, this absolutely does not constitute bribery. It’s just that we can provide some conveniences, such as revealing key details of the bidding information to you in advance, or sharing some reference information about the reputation of local contractors or potential risks that is difficult to obtain through public channels.”

Su Ninglong was somewhat surprised, as she was thinking about how to secure the project with 100% certainty.

However… she looked at him questioningly: “Why are you suddenly paying attention to this? And why did you specifically ask me for help? Didn’t you used to be uninterested in these political and business matters?”

Lian Xinyi explained, “Because things aren’t peaceful on Kabi Star, with frequent disappearances. My dad was transferred there six months ago to a high-ranking position, hoping to make a difference, but he found out that the waters there run too deep. The investors in every project are all old acquaintances, deeply entrenched, and have long since formed cliques. Almost every sector on Kabi Star is tightly controlled by these forces, making it difficult for outsiders to intervene, and there’s little room for intense power struggles. My dad… he’s like a politician with a hollow title, holding the position but unable to exert any real power.” His tone carried a hint of helplessness and worry. “He later realized that to truly manage a region well, going it alone isn’t enough. He needs a powerful external force to intervene and break the existing pattern, but this force must be strong enough to withstand the backlash and pressure from the local forces.”

"So, he came to me to ask... if Master Su was interested in becoming the force that intervened?" Lian Xinyi finished speaking and observed Su Ninglong's expression.

Su Ninglong frowned slightly, about to decisively refuse this overly politically complicated cooperation, but Lian Xinyi seemed to see through her thoughts and spoke first:
“I know Master Su definitely didn’t want to get involved in this mess. So I directly refused on behalf of my father.” He gave a somewhat helpless smile. “He was probably just grasping at straws and only thought of coming to you because of some advisor’s suggestion. I reminded him about it afterwards.”

Su Ninglong: "How could he have thought of me... Master? She's not a very good business partner."

Lian Xinyi hesitated for half a second, then stammered, "Actually, he contacted the people he had met before, but as soon as they heard that he was going to 'stir up trouble' on Kabi Star, they all shook their heads and refused, without even wanting to listen to the details."

Lian Xinyi's eyes were earnest, with a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment: "Sister Su, I know this will be a lot of trouble for you and will definitely use up your connections, but I still have to shamelessly ask you to help me think of someone suitable to go to Kaibi Star?"

Fearing he might put Su Ninglong in a difficult position, he quickly added, "Just recommend a name to me, and I'll handle the rest myself—contact the other party and negotiate the terms. I absolutely won't make things difficult for you. You can have whatever reward you want afterward, as long as I can deliver."

Su Ninglong fell into deep thought. Indeed, if they could leverage the power of Lian Xinyi's father, the governor of Kebi Star, to gain access to the area, the difficulties in both project approval and information acquisition would be greatly reduced; this was undoubtedly a shortcut.

She looked up and asked a question: "How long will Uncle Lian's term on Planet Kebi be?"

“Based on convention and the characteristics of the regions he’s being transferred to,” Lian Xinyi said, counting on his fingers, “it’ll probably be around ten years. The places he’s going to are all tough nuts to crack and troublesome hotspots. The interstellar government won’t easily transfer him; they’re all counting on him to stabilize the situation during his term.” His words revealed his understanding of his father’s situation.

Su Ninglong instantly understood Lian Xinyi's subtext: his father, Governor Lian, was a staunch member of the interstellar government system, loyal to the current government order.

He wasn't looking for a disruptor, but a powerful partner who could help him break local deadlocks within the framework of the rules.

"I don't know if the other party is willing to cooperate, since I don't know them very well. But you don't have anyone else either, do you?"

Lian Xinyi tilted her head, not understanding what Su Ninglong was talking to herself.
Su Ninglong turned to Lei Qingya: "Lei Lei, contact Miss Quan now and ask her... if she's interested in going to Kabi Star to develop some 'small business'?"

Lei Qingya was stunned; he hadn't expected Su Ninglong to recommend this person.
"Quan Wang? Recommend her? Her base and territory are in the mining areas of distant alien star systems. She's like a lion king who rules over a region. Would she be willing to travel thousands of miles to a place like Kaibi Star to start a small project from scratch?"

Su Ninglong smiled slightly and analyzed, "Even the largest mining planet will eventually run out of resources."

"But her mine's output is clearly still at its peak!" Lei Qingya was still puzzled.

“Precisely because it’s at its peak, we need to plan ahead and consider a transformation,” Su Ninglong said firmly. “After the peak, it will inevitably be a downhill road. What will happen to the brothers who rely on her for their livelihood when the mines are depleted? Will they just sit around and do nothing?”