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

Gao Xiaosheng never expected that Section Chief Zhou would so casually throw this hot potato into his arms.

He just wanted to solve a case and use the opportunity to accumulate some lottery chances for himself. What kind of nonsense is this? He only had three requirements.

You can't arrest too many people, so as not to provoke worker protests, but you also have to create a strong deterrent effect. Isn't that making things difficult for people?

"Section Chief Zhou, according to your requirements, isn't the only option left to make an example of someone?"

"How about you give me some more time, until I get to know the workers in the factory better, then I can take over?"

Gao Xiaosheng was filled with remorse.

How could he so easily believe Li Shuguo's nonsense?

Why didn't you just listen to Section Chief Zhou and patrol every day? You had to make trouble for yourself. Now you've run into a bullet.

"Haha, Xiao Gao, I knew you were smart."

"That's right, we need to make an example of them."

Section Chief Zhou laughed heartily, but Gao Xiaosheng thought that "cunning" would be a more accurate description.

"But you can't just pick any chicken; you have to choose carefully."

"It's best to avoid the workers in the rolling mill and finishing workshop. These are the key workshops in our factory, with the largest number of workers. If they band together to fight back, the impact will be too great."

"Giving you some time isn't out of the question."

Section Chief Zhou's smile grew even brighter, making him look like he had ulterior motives.

"Well then, I was originally planning to give you a week to solve the case, but since you've put it that way, how about half a month? With your brain, you definitely won't have any problems."

Gao Xiaosheng looked miserable. He knew he couldn't underestimate the instructor. These people seemed friendly on the surface, but they were actually quite cunning.

"No, Section Chief Zhou, a month, can't a month be enough?"

Gao Xiaosheng held up one finger, wanting to bargain further and buy himself more time.

"A month, huh..." Zhou Jiasheng stroked his chin, thought for a few seconds, and slapped his thigh.

"Let's not make it a month. Here's what we'll do: besides Liu Lan, you can pick anyone in the security department to be your assistant."

"Two people, and a two-week deadline—it's no different from you working alone for a month."

"It's settled then. Have some water first, I'm going out on patrol."

After saying that, Zhou Jiasheng casually picked up his peaked cap and walked out of the office without looking back.

"Hey, it's me, Section Chief Zhou..." Gao Xiaosheng turned around to call out to Section Chief Zhou, but he was too late. Zhou had already left the main office and was nowhere to be seen.

Did it walk out or float away? No wonder it's full of nonsense.

Gao Xiaosheng sighed deeply, looked up at the ceiling, and had a worried expression on his face.

The result of the haggling was a tragedy, like putting a tight band around one's head.

If the rolling mill and finishing workshops are off-limits, and the forging and heating workshops don't allow for the theft of scrap materials, then doesn't that mean only the logistics workshops are left?

However, the logistics workshop not only had few people, but half of them were electricians, who had nothing to do with waste materials.

What if the remaining fitters are completely honest? Where are they going to find that unlucky chicken?

"Half a month, half a month," Gao Xiaosheng muttered to himself as he walked out of the office, a cigarette butt dangling from his mouth.

"What's wrong, Xiao Gao? You look like you've lost your soul. Did Section Chief Zhou scold you? No way." Li Shuguo had quietly slipped up to Gao Xiaosheng's side without anyone noticing. His words startled Gao Xiaosheng so much that he dropped his cigarette butt on the ground.

"Holy shit!"

"Brother Li, do you walk without making a sound?" Gao Xiaosheng's heart was pounding in his throat.

"It's not like we're marching in formation, why are you making such a racket? Don't mind that, just tell me what you and Section Chief Zhou were talking about."

With a long face, Gao Xiaosheng recounted in detail how he had taken on this hot potato.

"Brother Li, I have a feeling something's not right."

Gao Xiaosheng carefully recalled his two conversations with Section Chief Zhou.

"Do you think Section Chief Zhou deliberately brought up the waste material issue with me this morning, just waiting for me to walk right into his trap?"

Li Shuguo paused for a second, then shook his head repeatedly, "Impossible, our Section Chief Zhou is just a nice guy."

"No, I guarantee it, he definitely planned this all along," Gao Xiaosheng said decisively after thinking for a moment.

"Look, I'm a security officer. He didn't mention me when I was onboarding yesterday morning, but he waited for me at the door today, and we started chatting as soon as I entered the office."

"Moreover, they deliberately spoke ambiguously, saying that the working group had doubts, but there was no rush."

"Isn't this just deliberately teasing me?"

Li Shuguo scratched his head, puzzled, and asked, "Xiao Gao, you're probably overthinking it. What if you don't go to him? Wouldn't Section Chief Zhou have wasted his time?"

"I'm just a security officer, and after hearing about the scrap metal theft case, I didn't say anything?" Gao Xiaosheng lowered his eyelids and looked at Li Shuguo. "If you were the section chief, what would you think of me?"

"Uh..." Li Shuguo hesitated for a while before nodding and saying, "That's true. If I were the section chief, I definitely wouldn't have a good impression of you. Even if I didn't make things difficult for you in the future, I would find an opportunity to transfer you to a different position and make you guard the gate."

"So, Section Chief Zhou really planned this all along? Was his previous image as a nice guy all an act?"

Li Shuguo's eyes widened in surprise. He was among the first batch of security officers to join the team and had often told others that Section Chief Zhou was a kind and good-natured person.

In the end, it turned out that he was the clown who had helped Zhou Jiasheng gain a good reputation for nothing.

Gao Xiaosheng nodded vigorously, indicating his complete agreement. "Back in the army, your company commander and platoon leader never mentioned this to you: 'Don't try to be clever with the political instructor.'"

Li Shuguo put on the same "mourning face" as Gao Xiaosheng, saying, "They did say in private that the instructors are all well-educated people who have studied for several years..."

"He's very cunning."

"He's very cunning."

The two spoke in unison, giving the same assessment.

"By the way, Brother Li, Section Chief Zhou agreed to let me find someone to work on the case with. Didn't we agree on that during the day? I'll go report to Section Chief Zhou now."

"Hey, it's me, Xiao Gao..."

Just like the scene in the office, Gao Xiaosheng left straight away, and Li Shuguo looked like he had just eaten three pounds of bitter melon.

He did say he would cooperate with Gao Xiaosheng in handling the case, but at the time he thought he would have a chance to slack off and not have to patrol and guard the gate all day. He didn't expect this matter to be so troublesome.

I wanted to politely decline, but I said it myself. Now that I'm facing difficulties, I can't back down. I can't bear the embarrassment.

"Ugh, this mouth of yours, why does it keep spouting nonsense?"

Looking at Gao Xiaosheng's retreating figure, Li Shuguo slapped himself in frustration, then squatted down and found a twig to scribble on.

Since he couldn't avoid it, he could only try his best to cooperate and play a role.

After writing for less than two minutes, Li Shuguo started scratching his head frequently.

Three minutes later, he swung his arm and flung the branch far away, then stood up and rubbed the ground hard with the sole of his shoe.

This is way too difficult!

The logistics workshop was small in number and had a very low profile. Li Shuguo counted all the workers he knew, but couldn't find a single one who was even remotely related to the logistics workshop.

Without an inside accomplice, the case simply cannot proceed. We can't exactly guard the gate after get off work and search everyone in the logistics workshop; we'd be lucky to escape with our lives if we didn't get beaten to death.