My sister broke off her engagement to marry someone richer? My older sister married me and became in

Li Aiguo stood in the wind, panting heavily, clutching the stack of supporting documents covered with red handprints.

The two retired forestry cadres sitting in the back row had their necks tightly tucked into their military overcoats.

Old Zhang in the dispatch room had his pipe burning his fingers, but he didn't dare to shout.

These men were regulars at Gao Jianjun's dinner parties. Today, they shamelessly followed him in the car, hoping to see Lu Qingshan make a fool of himself in handcuffs.

The results of it?

The dust kicked up by the police car hadn't even settled yet when the image of Gao Jianjun being forced into the car by the armed police, like a dead dog, nearly terrified these seasoned veterans.

"How come the weather in Red Stone Forest Farm changes so suddenly?"

Old Zhang's lips trembled and turned pale.

"Shut your filthy mouth! If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"

Old Li, the head of the supplies department next to him, pinched him hard. His eyes were fixed on the outside of the car window. He got out of the car briskly and walked up with a smile.

Lu Qingshan took a deep drag on his cigarette, his face completely calm and composed.

Li Aiguo glanced down at the brown paper bag in his hand; it was the life-saving document he had just signed, after sacrificing his life and banging on the table to force the dispatcher to sign it.

"Qingshan, is Gao Jianjun really finished?"

Li Aiguo swallowed hard, his voice hoarse as he offered a warning, "This guy surnamed Gao has powerful connections in the county..."

Lu Qingshan took a few steps closer and reached out to help the old farm manager unbutton the Zhongshan suit that he had buttoned incorrectly in his excitement.

"Uncle Li, I'm so sorry to have you risk your reputation for half your life so early in the morning. Thank you for your trouble."

Lu Qingshan moved gently, helping him fasten the buttons back into the correct buttonholes, but his tone was as cold as ice.

"A powerful backer? Accountant Sun handed over all the secret accounts from the past five years, including a detailed list of the gifts he gave."

"Anyone who dares to protect Gao Jianjun now is putting a noose around their own neck."

Upon hearing the phrase "yin-yang bottom account," Li Aiguo was first taken aback. Then, this old-fashioned cadre, who had spent most of his life working in the forest area, suddenly had tears welling up in his eyes.

He didn't feel that failing to protect his subordinate was a loss of face; instead, he suddenly swung his arm and slapped Lu Qingshan hard on the shoulder.

"Good! Well done!"

Li Aiguo's voice was loud and clear, conveying an irrepressible sense of satisfaction and a touch of sorrow.

"These traitorous beasts! The forest farm has been drained dry over the past few years, my heart is bleeding! If only we had solid evidence..."

He turned to look at the neatly arranged, unmarked red pines in the yard, took a deep breath, and stared intently at Lu Qingshan.

"I wasn't wrong about you. This forest farm will belong to you young people who get things done from now on!"

Upon hearing this, the retired cadres exchanged glances and hurriedly scrambled forward.

Old Zhang's face was creased with a smile big enough to trap a fly, and his back was bent like a shrimp.

"Hey, Section Chief Lu is the pillar of our forest farm! We old guys have been wanting to report that scoundrel Gao Jianjun for ages!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Section Chief Lu, from now on, we'll go wherever the Transportation Section tells us to go!" Old Li nodded vigorously in agreement.

Lu Qingshan didn't respond, nor did he even look at their smiling faces.

He simply tapped the thick wooden handle on the ground with his toe—the very thing Sun Jianguo had just prepared to break his legs.

"There's no need to report the situation to higher authorities. It's all for the development of the forest farm, so there's no need to make things awkward for everyone."

Lu Qingshan finally lifted his eyelids and looked at them with a half-smile.

"I have a specific business question. We're currently focused on the spring construction boom, and our transportation department's fuel consumption and maintenance approvals are among the most urgent, difficult, and dangerous tasks on the front lines. Will all the necessary paperwork be completed smoothly before sunset tomorrow?"

Old Zhang's smile froze instantly. He took out a crumpled handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, gave a dry laugh, and started to play Tai Chi.

"Section Chief Lu, we are absolutely concerned about what the grassroots are urgently needing. But this approval process involves finance and internal control. According to the official documents issued by the bureau, it takes at least three working days for several departments to sign off on it. That's the rule, you see..."

"Rules are rigid, production tasks are flexible! If the timber rots on the mountain and can't be transported out, are all the thousands of people on the farm going to starve because of you, Old Zhang?"

Li Aiguo displayed the authority of the forest farm's top leader. Although he didn't lose his temper, his tone exuded an unquestionable official air.

"Old Zhang, Old Li, I think your thinking is still too rigid! You lack a sense of the big picture!"

"Today, I'm setting the tone—from this moment forward, to ensure production and boost efficiency, all approvals for the Transportation Department, Dispatch Office, and No. 6 Timber Yard will be handled on a case-by-case basis!"

"A note signed by Comrade Qingshan is the highest order; every department must give it the green light! Anyone who dares to use those old, bureaucratic formalities to hold back the grassroots..."

Li Aiguo flicked off his cigarette ash, looked up at the dirt road where the police car had left, and spoke softly.

"If you feel that you are too tired in this position and can't distinguish between your priorities, I don't mind asking the organization to give you a long leave so you can go inside and reflect with Comrade Jianjun!"

Upon hearing this, the seasoned veterans were so frightened that their legs went weak and a layer of white sweat broke out on their backs. They quickly nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"Director Li's criticism is correct! It's because our political stance is insufficient!"

Old Zhang was the first to swallow.

"Don't worry, Section Chief Qingshan's matter is the top priority for the entire operation! Tonight, all staff in the relevant departments are not allowed to leave work; we must complete the approval process overnight and resolutely prevent any disruption to frontline production!"

Everyone present knew perfectly well that with Li Aiguo's politically conscious and overall-interest-oriented statement as a foundation, coupled with the deterrent effect of Gao Jianjun's arrest, Lu Qingshan's influence in Hongshi Forest Farm was completely and utterly crushed, even under the guise of legality and compliance.

……

Noon. Office of the County Public Security Bureau Chief.

Wang Jianguo loosened his uniform tie, chewed on a roast duck pancake rolled with scallions, his mouth dripping with oil.

Lu Qingshan sat on the old leather sofa opposite him and slowly pushed two unopened packs of Zhonghua cigarettes and several tea bricks wrapped tightly in newspapers onto the desk.

"Director Wang, we had the guys freeze in the wind for half the night last night. Here's some local specialty, add a few pounds of meat to the canteen."

Wang Jianguo swallowed the duck meat, picked up the towel on the table to wipe his hands, and smiled as he nodded at Lu Qingshan.

"You little brat, don't try to shut me up with that. This tactic of using someone else to do your dirty work is truly masterful! Gao Jianjun's in jail, and now you've got complete control over the forestry transportation. What? You think the Public Security Bureau is your personal road cleaner?"

Lu Qingshan picked up the teacup with the red star on it, blew away the floating tea leaves, and remained expressionless.

"Director Wang, you're exaggerating. I'm just giving you a first-class merit award for the year-end. The amount of money involved in those cases in the ledger is enough for you to attend the commendation ceremony at the Municipal Bureau, isn't it?"

Wang Jianguo then smiled slightly, grabbed the teapot, took a big gulp of water, and his tone suddenly became serious.

"This case is too complicated. The higher-ups just issued an official document on a 'crackdown,' demanding a severe and swift punishment. Gao Jianjun is definitely going to get himself killed."

Thinking about what had happened that night, he leaned forward, stared intently at Lu Qingshan, and gave him a few earnest words of advice.

"Qingshan, you're quick-witted and ruthless; you've got the makings of something big. But I have to warn you, you've expanded your operations too much. You're involved in both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds. Keep your eyes peeled, or one day I'll have to personally lead the team to arrest you."

These words were both a warning and a form of tacit approval.

Lu Qingshan put down his teacup, his gaze open and honest.

"Don't worry, Director Wang. I, Lu Qingshan, only earn clean money. If I've really broken the law, you don't need to arrest me; I'll walk in myself."

After a roast duck meal and a few words exchanged, Lu Qingshan had finally secured his most important piece on the chessboard of both the legitimate and criminal worlds in Hongshi County.

……

At 8 p.m., the crescent moon rose to halfway up the sky.

The Xiushan Industrial Compound in the western suburbs was as lively as if it were celebrating the Lunar New Year.

The workers set up a large iron pot, stewing pork ribs with cornbread, and the aroma of the meat wafted for miles.

Lu Qingshan pushed open the wooden door to the office, where a roaring fire was burning inside.

Lin Xiulan was lying on the table, her fair fingers rapidly manipulating the abacus beads.

"You're back?" Lin Xiulan looked up, brushed a stray hair behind her ear, and looked overjoyed.

"This mess has been cleared up today. After deducting the losses from the past few days, we still have about 60,000 yuan in usable funds in our corporate account!"

Lu Qingshan walked over, took his wife's hands, stained with blue ink, into his own calloused hands, and softened his voice.

"Thank you for your hard work, honey. Once the factory is officially registered the day after tomorrow, I'll take you to a big department store in the provincial capital and pick out the most fashionable cashmere coat for you."

Lin Xiulan blushed slightly, withdrew her hand, and gave him a reproachful look: "All you ever think about is spending money. The factory is just starting to pick up, and there are plenty of places where we need money."

The murderous aura that had been building up in my heart these past few days, fueled by the tension and conflict, was completely dispelled by my wife's harmless complaint.

Just then, with a soft "bang," Scarface Liu pushed the door open a crack and called out in a low voice, "Brother Qingshan, come out for a second."

The scars on his face were pressed together by his taut muscles, and his eyes revealed a rare look of fear.

Lu Qingshan's heart sank, and he patted Lin Xiulan's hand: "You and Xiao Chen go over the accounts first, I'll go take a look."

Turning and stepping into the shadows of the courtyard, Lu Qingshan's face instantly turned cold: "What strange thing have you encountered?"

Scarface Liu pulled Lu Qingshan to a dead corner in the backyard where miscellaneous items were stored. On the ground lay a brass lock that had been forcibly broken, the cut as smooth as a mirror.

"After the police left in the afternoon, I led my brothers to inventory the warehouse. We discovered that the back window railing of warehouse No. 3 (Special Grade) had been cut off."

"Was it done by some vagrants who slipped through Gao Jianjun's net?" Lu Qingshan frowned.

Scarface Liu gasped and shook his head.

"Brother, it's definitely not those cowards! Those vagrants are sloppy workers; their lock-picking and window-cutting techniques are so professional they send chills down your spine! There wasn't a single shoe print on the windowsill, and the strangest thing is... all the cash and receipts in the storeroom were untouched. They just turned the corner where the old sacks and mountain produce were piled up inside out!"

If they weren't after money, then what were these people after, risking ending up in jail to sneak in?

As they were talking, Old Sun, who was in charge of logistics, came over from around the corner with a bowl of leftover food for feeding the dogs. When he saw the broken lock on the ground, he slapped his thigh.

"Oh dear! Factory manager, I was just about to report this strange thing! Around noon, there were two men in black leather jackets loitering outside our gate."

"What does it look like?" Lu Qingshan asked sternly.

"I couldn't see clearly; they were all wearing hats. They all spoke with a distinct southern accent." Old Sun rubbed the grime off his hands. "He dragged me into a daze, practically shoving half a bag of Daqianmen cigarettes into my mouth, and started asking all sorts of strange questions, like, 'Did your factory recently… acquire a century-old ginseng root?'"

Lu Qingshan's jawline instantly tightened into a sharp straight line, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

A century-old ginseng?!

Those were the rotten wooden stakes he dug out in Duanhungou to set a trap and kill Yu Bo of Hongxing Food Factory!

The real sixth-grade purple ginseng king had already been given to Old Master Lu to make medicinal wine.

Grandpa Lu passed away this year in his previous life, and Lu Qingshan is now paying extra attention to his health. Fortunately, Grandpa Lu is much healthier than in his previous life.

There's no way the news could have leaked out, unless... the false information spread in the provincial capital to set up the scheme caught an unwanted "big fish".

Moreover, these people not only believed it, but also bypassed Yu Bo and found out where he was from!

"Brother, is it because the herbal medicine merchants from the south are desperate?" Scarface Liu was still guessing in the direction of business.

"A businessman? A businessman can scale walls and cut steel bars?" Lu Qingshan sneered.

He didn't say anything more, and followed the peeling plaster from the warehouse wall to the two-meter-high backyard wall. The faint beam of his flashlight shone on the waist-high weeds, which had carved out a hidden passage.

Lu Qingshan squatted down and stared intently at a deep half-shoe sole print in a muddy puddle that hadn't completely dried.

The texture is sharp and the edges are barbed.

"Look closely, these are high-top military boots used for training in the mountainous jungles of the south." Lu Qingshan's voice carried a chilling coldness in the night wind.

His gaze swept across the ground inch by inch, and under a withered wormwood leaf, he picked up a half-extinguished cigarette butt.

There was no filter; it was raw tobacco leaves rolled up from torn newspaper.

Lu Qingshan brought the cigarette butt to his nose and inhaled a pungent, strong smell of dry tobacco. But beneath this smell was a faint, yet indelible, metallic rusty odor.

It smells of being soaked in the blood of the dead for years, mixed with gun oil and gunpowder smoke.

Lu Qingshan threw the cigarette butt back into the mud and crushed it with his foot.

Scarface Liu leaned closer, swallowed hard, and felt a slight cramp in his legs: "Brother... what kind of living devils have we attracted?"

Lu Qingshan straightened up, the night wind blowing the hem of his coat. The tenderness he had shown in the room was gone from his eyes, replaced by a fierce glint like that of a hungry wolf.

"Tell the brothers in the barracks that starting tonight, put all your machetes under your pillows when you sleep!"

Lu Qingshan stared at the dark silhouette of the distant mountains, gritting his teeth as he spat out a few words: "Cast the net wide. Even if we have to search every guesthouse and dilapidated temple in Hongshi County, we must find out where these people from the south are staying!"