Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Almost simultaneously, Liu Jianguo approached from the side, pointing his baton forward: "Come out! Hands behind your head!"

The three men inside the cave were blinded by the bright flashlight and terrified by the menacing-looking Big Yellow dog and the security guards blocking their way. They froze on the spot, too afraid to move. One of the older men, who seemed to be the leader, trembled as he raised his hand, his face contorted with fear: "Don't...don't hit us! We'll come out! We'll come out!"

The other two younger men quickly followed suit, raising their hands, their faces pale.

Zhang Dayou and Wang Hai arrived, panting, and were both surprised and delighted by the scene before them. Zhang Dayou swept his flashlight over the pile of "stolen goods" in the hole and spat, "Good heavens! It really was you rats! Stealing things from the factory!"

"No... I didn't steal much... I just... I just picked up some scrap metal..." the leader protested, his voice trembling.

"Scrap copper and iron?" Wang Hai stepped forward and kicked the pile of copper parts and wires. "This quality, is it scrap copper and iron? This is good copper that can be melted down! And this steel shovel! Tell me! How many times have you stolen it? How did you smuggle it out?"

Under the intense gaze of the flashlight beam, the low growl of Big Yellow, and the encirclement of four security guards, the three thieves' psychological defenses completely collapsed.

They quickly confessed that they were migrant workers from the neighborhood, unemployed, and because of the famine of the past two years, their families were struggling to make ends meet. So they decided to target the steel mill's scrap yard. They thought it was a remote place with lax security and plenty of scrap, and that stealing some "unwanted junk" to exchange for money and food would go unnoticed.

They would scout the area during the day and then scale the wall at night (a section of the wall was dilapidated and easy to climb). They would sift through the scrap heaps, picking out valuable copper, aluminum, and high-quality steel. Once they had accumulated a certain amount, they would take advantage of a break in their early morning patrols to move the materials out the same way they came and hide them in the ditches outside. At dawn, they would sell them in batches to nearby scrap metal dealers. They had already succeeded three or four times, but this time they were caught red-handed.

"You climbed over the wall? Where's the wall broken? Take us to see it!" Zhang Dayou said sternly.

Guided by the three thieves, they arrived at a section of the wall in the southeast corner of the junkyard. Sure enough, due to foundation subsidence and rain erosion, the wall had cracks and a small section had collapsed, forming a hidden gap large enough for an adult to crawl through.

"Damn it, report this to the infrastructure department tomorrow and shut this up!" Zhang Dayou cursed, then said to Wang Hai and Liu Jianguo, "Cuff the three of them, take the stolen goods, and take them back to the duty room! I'll report to Section Chief Zhou and Deputy Section Chief Wei right away! Comrade Wei Chen, thanks to you and Da Huang this time! You've done a great job!"

Wei Chen shook his head: "We all found it together." He recalled Da Huang and re-fastened its leash. Da Huang had completed its task and quietly squatted at his feet, but still watched the three people being taken away warily.

The thieves and stolen goods were escorted to the east gate guard room and temporarily detained. Zhang Dayou rushed to the office building to report to his superiors. Deputy Section Chief Wei Changzheng arrived quickly, wearing a military overcoat, his face appearing particularly serious under the dim light of the guard room. He carefully examined the stolen goods and personally interrogated the three men for a few more questions, his expression growing increasingly grim.

"This is egregious!" Wei Changzheng slammed his fist on the table. "Stealing state property and disrupting production order! Lock him up first, then send him to the police station first thing tomorrow morning! Old Zhang, you take some men and temporarily block up that hole in the wall tonight! I'll personally go to the Infrastructure Department tomorrow! Also, to the comrades who participated in the operation tonight, thank you for your hard work; the department will hold a meeting to commend them tomorrow!"

"Yes, Section Chief Wei," Wei Chen replied, standing at attention.

"Alright, it's getting late, you should all go back and get some rest. Don't tell anyone about tonight's events, we'll deal with everything tomorrow." Wei Changzheng gave a few more instructions and then hurriedly left, clearly to communicate with Zhou Jianjun and Jin Aiguo.

Zhang Dayou arranged for people to guard the thief, and personally led Wei Chen, Liu Jianguo, and Wang Hai to temporarily block the hole in the wall. By the time everything was finished, it was already past 11 p.m.

The cold wind grew even stronger. On the way back, Liu Jianguo and Wang Hai praised Wei Chen and Da Huang highly.

"Comrade Wei Chen, your dog is amazing! With such a strong wind, the smell should have been blown away long ago, right? How did it smell it?" "Exactly! We've gone around there before, but we didn't find anything. This dog has a much better nose than a person!" "Next time we have this kind of tracking work, we'll have to call you and Da Huang again!"

Wei Chen simply smiled modestly and said that Da Huang was trained and just lucky. He knew in his heart that Da Huang's sense of smell far exceeded that of ordinary dogs, and given that the three people had been frequently active in the area, leaving behind enough scent clues, it was only a matter of time before they were discovered.

Back in the armory, Wei Chen gave Da Huang water and some jerky as a reward, and patted its head reassuringly. Da Huang rubbed affectionately against his hand before returning to its kennel to rest.

Wei Chen locked the door and returned to the courtyard. He used the key to open the small door on the south side of the east wing, which was deliberately left when the courtyard was built.

As soon as he returned to the courtyard, he heard his mother's voice coming from the west room, "Xiao Chen is back?" Hearing Wei Chen's reply, she added, "Are you hungry? Shall I get up and make you something to eat?"

"No need, Mom. I ate a good meal at the cafeteria tonight. You should go to sleep now, it's getting late. I'm going back to my room to sleep too!" Wei Chen replied.

Only after hearing that her son had returned safely did Wang Xiulan finally fall asleep.

Wei Chen returned to his room, which was warm and cozy, with his mother having kept the fireplace burning brightly. Lying in bed, Wei Chen didn't immediately enter the game world. Tonight's operation, though successful, had given him a more direct understanding of the complexity and potential dangers of factory security in this era.

A few vagrants, desperate for food, risked everything to steal factory waste… This reflects a broader social reality. And he and Da Huang, tonight, once again made their mark in the security department, demonstrating some value. This might bring some attention and potential opportunities, but it could also attract unnecessary trouble or additional responsibility.

"Let's take it one step at a time." Wei Chen closed his eyes, his mind sinking into that tranquil space that belonged only to him. No matter what happened outside, it was always his haven for rest and to gather strength.

The next morning, Wei Chen and Wei Feng had breakfast and went to the steel rolling mill together!

The news spread like wildfire within the security department. Although the leadership had ordered them to keep quiet, the story of "Wei Chen and Da Huang catching three iron thieves at the scrap yard at night" circulated in various versions throughout the department. Many people looked at Wei Chen and Da Huang with more curiosity and admiration.

In the morning, the Security Department held a small-scale briefing. Section Chief Zhou Jianjun reiterated the importance of workplace safety and theft prevention, and specifically commended the four people who participated in the operation last night, particularly mentioning Wei Chen and Da Huang for their "outstanding performance and high level of vigilance."

Deputy Section Chief Jin Aiguo, from a systemic perspective, required all teams to strengthen patrols, especially in the nooks and crannies of the factory area, and began drafting a notice on strengthening waste management. Deputy Section Chief Wei Changzheng further stated on the spot that this should be used as an opportunity to conduct a comprehensive safety loophole investigation throughout the entire section.

After the meeting, Zhang Dayou specifically sought out Wei Chen, patted him on the shoulder, and grinned, "Comrade Wei Chen, thanks to you last night! The leader is very satisfied! If you need anything in the future, just let us know!"

Even the usually serious Wei Changzheng nodded when he met Wei Chen, saying, "The dog is well-raised, keep it up."

Only Li Zhijun remained calm when he saw Wei Chen in the armory. As Wei Chen was wiping the gun cabinet, Li Zhijun casually remarked, "The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind. The more powerful a dog is, the more people will want to take it."

Wei Chen understood and nodded, "Master Li, I understand."

He knew that this small act of merit was like a pebble thrown into a pond, the ripples already spreading. But in any case, he and Da Huang had taken another solid first step in this new position. He added a piece of coal to the stove, watching the flickering flames with a calm expression.

Outside the window, the hustle and bustle of the steel rolling mill continues; a new day, new challenges, and the journey continues.

The aftershocks of the security department's "catching the thief" incident were like a small stone thrown into the boiling pot of the steel rolling mill. After creating a few ripples, they were quickly swallowed up and assimilated by the massive and regular daily operations.

The factory leadership handled the matter swiftly and decisively: the three vagrants involved were taken to the police station and will face legal punishment; the damaged section of the fence around the waste yard was repaired and reinforced by the infrastructure department at the fastest speed, and barbed wire was symbolically put up; the factory office quickly issued an official document emphasizing the need to strengthen the management of waste materials and the night patrol system, and various workshops and departments also organized study sessions to sound the alarm for safety.

Within the security department, the atmosphere underwent a more subtle shift. At the department's morning meeting the following day, Section Chief Zhou Jianjun, in his booming voice, reiterated the importance of discipline and responsibility. However, he unusually softened his tone at the end, acknowledging that "the high level of vigilance and collaborative combat capabilities of some comrades have set an example for the entire department." Deputy Section Chief Wei Changzheng, as if injected with a powerful boost, intensified the already rigorous training to an unprecedented level.

"The New Year is over, put away your laziness!" Wei Changzheng's voice boomed daily across the biting winds of the training ground, like a cannonball. "Look at them! They can catch those traitors undermining socialism just by keeping their eyes wide open at night! What does that show? It shows that practice makes perfect! The more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in wartime! Don't think that wearing this uniform makes you a security officer. Cowards and weaklings, get the hell out of here! Attention everyone—left turn! Five kilometers with weights, run—forward!"