Courtyard house: Just the right amount of pressure, leaving you bewildered but not brain-damaged.

"Comrade Xiao Gao, over here."

Gao Xiaosheng and Sun Youtian had just arrived at the entrance of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill when they saw someone waving at them.

"Old Sun, I'm leaving now."

Gao Xiaosheng left a message and jogged over to Zhou Jiasheng, the head of the security department.

"Hello, Section Chief."

"Alright, come with me. Your uniform is back. Change into it quickly."

Zhou Jiasheng nodded with a smile, showing no airs of a section chief whatsoever.

"These bungalows all belong to our security department."

"The room you reported to yesterday was an office converted from two rooms. Further ahead, there are three detention cells and two rest rooms. I'll tell you about them in a bit."

Gao Xiaosheng followed behind Zhou Jiasheng, looking at the row of small bungalows right next to the factory gate with a surprised expression.

If he remembered correctly, Section Chief Zhou seemed to have said yesterday that the entire security section only had a dozen or so people.

Such a small number of people, taking up seven rooms?

"Xiao Gao, come inside and have a glass of water. Let's chat for a bit."

The "soon" that Section Chief Zhou mentioned actually lasted for more than half an hour.

As expected of someone who had served as an instructor in the army for over ten years, he spoke at a steady and measured pace, recounting the entire situation of the security department in great detail.

Despite the large size of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, with nearly 3500 employees, the security department only has 28 authorized positions. Gao Xiaosheng was the 16th to report for duty, and the remaining 12 positions were still vacant, waiting for the armed forces department to gradually assign people.

In Section Chief Zhou's words, the document clearly stated that the Security Section's staffing would not exceed 0.8% and that it would only recruit demobilized soldiers.

The military has indeed reduced its troop numbers in the past two years, but Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill was unlucky. It only started its public-private partnership at the beginning of the year, missing the best opportunity to establish a security department.

Despite the shortage of personnel, the security department must still perform its duties well, and no mistakes can be made in any aspect.

Gao Xiaosheng always thought that the security department did nothing but guard the gate, patrol, and handle minor security cases.

But after listening to Section Chief Zhou's explanation, he realized that he had underestimated the security department.

An office clerk is necessary to conduct background checks on newly recruited workers in the factory to prevent Dieter from infiltrating.

Managing confidential documents and case files, as well as registering firearms and ammunition, are also part of the duties of the office staff.

We also need to coordinate with the Public Security Bureau and the Armed Forces Department, two higher-level units.

Well, at full capacity, there should be three office staff, but right now, only one is on duty.

There is more fieldwork.

The gate must be manned 24 hours a day.

Routine patrols are conducted at any time of day, once per hour.

Other tasks include inspecting fire-fighting facilities and organizing militia training.

In addition to being responsible for "four preventions" and cases involving factories and workers, Gao Xiaosheng, a security officer, is also responsible for mediating disputes between workers.

Of course, he's also indispensable for patrols.

Section Chief Zhou made it very clear that there was a shortage of manpower, so everyone had to share the workload.

Gao Xiaosheng then understood why the security department had set up two rest rooms. It turned out they were treating the staff like beasts of burden. 996 was a perk, 007 was the norm.

"Haha, Comrade Xiao Gao, don't look so sad, it's not that exaggerated."

Section Chief Zhou took out a cigarette and handed one to Gao Xiaosheng.

"These next few days, you can go to work as usual in the morning and leave after lunch. Take some time to explore the area and familiarize yourself with the surroundings."

"I aim to spend three to five days thoroughly exploring the four eastern districts, making sure I have a firm grasp of the key areas."

"You're a scout; I don't need to elaborate on the importance of knowing the terrain, do I?"

"It can be used to capture enemy agents and cooperate with the Public Security Bureau and police stations in handling cases."

"After dinner at home, I go back to the factory to participate in patrols. If I don't want to sleep in the rest room, I will stay from 8 o'clock to 12 o'clock and complete four patrol missions before going back to sleep."

Gao Xiaosheng couldn't understand why Section Chief Zhou could speak so coldly in a tone that sounded like he was "taking care of a newcomer."

If the newbie protection period is already like this, how far will it go in the future?

It sounds pretty easy. You work four hours in the morning and then make up for it with another four hours in the evening, which is very much in line with the eight-hour workday.

In reality, the phrase "familiarity with the terrain" is the biggest trap.

This is not decades from now. In Beijing, every inch of land is precious, and every inch of empty space must be utilized.

In the vicinity of Nanluoguxiang alone, there are many courtyards that were bombed and have not yet been renovated, remaining dilapidated.

In these uninhabited courtyards, you have to go in and walk around to see if there are any gaps in the outer walls and whether the vegetable cellar can hide someone.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing I wanted to tell you in advance."

Section Chief Zhou frowned slightly. "The deputy leader of the working group, Yang Siyuan, came to see me a few days ago and said that the amount of waste in our factory seems to be abnormal recently."

"There are far fewer than before the work team arrived. He suspects that some people are hiding them on their person and taking them out to sell to the scrap yard."

"Of course, Deputy Team Leader Yang also said that maybe the workshop workers have become more aware and careful in their work, making the most of the steel ingots."

"Just remember this for now."

Gao Xiaosheng's eyes lit up, and his perspective instantly broadened.

Yeah, he's a security officer. He doesn't need to keep an eye on those few bastards in the yard to fleece people. If someone in the factory commits a crime, he can also get away with it.

And this is much easier than in the yard.

As long as a case is solved, no matter how big or small, arresting the person and throwing them into detention for three to five days of interrogation is perfectly reasonable.

Earning some lottery chances during interrogation isn't unreasonable, is it?

A prisoner can be locked up for five days, providing 25 chances to win a lottery, with no consequences whatsoever. What a shrewd business!

"Yes, I will definitely pay close attention and try to find any clues as soon as possible." Gao Xiaosheng accepted the task with great enthusiasm, head held high and chest out.

Section Chief Zhou shook his head and patted Gao Xiaosheng's shoulder lightly. "It's not your turn to investigate yet. Let the gatekeeper keep an eye on things first. You can take over once there are suspects."

"Xiao Gao, you need to change your mindset. Our security department is short-staffed. We can't focus on these things. Ensuring the safety of the factory area is the most important thing. Put everything else aside for now and wait until the staff arrives."

"If those waste materials were indeed taken out by a worker, as long as he is still working in our factory, he absolutely cannot escape."

"Dieter is different. If we're even slightly careless, he can easily take advantage of us, and then the losses will be huge."

Gao Xiaosheng nodded silently.

It must be admitted that Section Chief Zhou, as a political work cadre, does indeed have a strong sense of the big picture.

Unlike him, who was always thinking about catching people and doing ten consecutive draws.

"Alright, let's stop here for now. It's past the start time for work. I'll go out and call the team over. You close the door, change your clothes, and wait."

Section Chief Zhou pushed open the door and left, leaving Gao Xiaosheng alone in the section chief's office.

"Ugh."

"The get-out-of-jail-free card is really a hot potato."

Gao Xiaosheng sighed deeply and sat down in his chair with a worried look on his face.

The next few months may really be tough.

According to Section Chief Zhou, many people in the security department go home every two or three days, truly treating the factory as their home.